It Takes A Leader
by Megatron's Blackfire
Summary: Energon. Ten years since the destruction of Unicron, all seems to be peaceful. But something very siniter is on the move towards Cybertron and will attempt to tear everything apart. New pairings, gender-bending, and much fluff and smut.
1. New Start

Chapter 1 New Start

It has been ten Earth years since the destruction of Unicron and much has changed. Not just on Cybertron though, no, my leader, or rather leaders, have changed greatly as well. Galvatron, though I will never complain about his methods before; he was strong and powerful and that method kept us all in line; but now he was calmer, more relaxed, and a little more willing to listen to an explanation. Optimus...no, Oriona; I'm still trying to get use to that name since she tends to response to both; she's grown a bit of a spinal unit. She's not quite the bleeding spark she use to be; still a bit too soft in my opinion, but she was leader of the Autobots.

Perhaps I should explain who I am a little more. I am Demolisher; one of Galvatron's most trusted soldiers. Or at least I was during the war. Now, I am a guard for an Earth colony that is searching for energon on the ocean floor. I'm not exactly impressed with the job, but Galvatron assigned me to this job personally so I will do as I am ordered to. I work alongside Autobots and Decepticons alike; we no longer call ourselves that though, not since Galvatron and Optimus; Oriona, Primus slaggit! I'll get it right one of these days! Anyways, the separation of our species has been dropped since our leaders destroyed Unicron and became joint rulers of our planet.

It's strange to think of them as mates. They were heated enemies on the battlefield, spilling each other's energon constantly, yet now it is hard to see that side of them. They are not overly public about their relationship; they still have to appear professional; but I have seen them swap a tender kiss here and there when there are few mechs or femmes around. What's even stranger is the fact that the whole time they had sparklings; three of them.

Hot Shot, Side Swipe, and Ironhide; all sired by Galvatron during the war. Or, in Hot Shot's case, just prior to its eruption. Now that Oriona; see, I got it; has ceased looking like Optimus Prime, you can see the similarities between all of them. But I'm curious as to where they got their blue optics; Galvatron's are as red as human blood while Oriona's; got it again; are as yellow as starlight, maybe a little darker. And it's hard to see Galvatron in any of them; they really took after their mother in looks. But Hot Shot shares Galvatron's hot temper; I've seen it while working under him for the past few years.

I'd never thought I would fear the little yellow bumper-car until I saw him pick Cyclonus up by the throat and pin him to a wall. Hot Shot lacks fangs like his father, but almost everyone could see Galvatron standing there instead of Hot Shot in the minute he snarled his authority to the insubordinate helicopter. I think Cyclonus sprung a leak during that time.

Ironhide has Galvatron's strength; that's a given. What he lacks is his father's knowledge of how to use it. The sparkling is as clumsy as an Earth ox, tripping over his own two feet at any given minute. He stutters and tries to gain the higher up's favours with tasks that any sane mech would cringe from. He doesn't understand as much as his brothers do in terms of the army and needs to be constantly reminded of his place; it's saddening really. But he is our leader's son and I will respect him no matter how little I actually believe him capable of.

Side Swipe is more like his mother in many regards, but he has his father's charisma. I've heard this youngling make a speech to the Decepticons that actually moved us to complete something we thought was impossible. He is a natural leader but he lacks the confidence to lead. Perhaps that is why Galvatron keeps him so close; to teach him how to be confident and lead others no matter what. The sparkling will learn in time; he is one that I would follow without hesitation should he ever make an order that didn't have a tremble in it. Then again, I don't blame him for being scared of most of us old Decepticons; we do tower over him.

Anyways, our goal now is to repair Cybertron. We've come a long ways from the ruins that our battle with Unicron left behind. Kaon, while never the best looking place, is making a full recovery and our leaders are trying very hard to keep it running. Iacon took less time to build since it was the capital and the Autobots tend to be a little more motivated in their own cities. The Decepticon-controlled cities were still under construction, but that was because Oriona was down-right determined to ensure that those cities were built properly and to Autobot-city standards.

She was honestly trying to help our kind, not like the past Primes that only cared for themselves. She was a good leader for us, along with Galvatron of course, but something troubles me. I've never been one to believe in premonition, but something has had me on edge for months now. Something is coming for us, I just know it. Let's hope that our leaders have what it takes to protect us.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

I don't know whether to laugh or shake my head sometimes. Being a Seeker, I'm a little more relaxed when things like interface jokes are mentioned, but I'm one of the more conserved mechs. Even with my crazy mate, I still keep everything on the lowest possible level of intimacy. Galvatron, lately, doesn't seem to have that turn-off point and he's not even a Seeker! I swear, if I see him grab Oriona's aft one more time....

Oh, maybe I should say who I am. I am Starscream, former second in command of the Decepticon forces. Now, however, I am one of Galvatron and Oriona's chief advisors. Which means that I have to watch that giant aft mech try to flirt with Oriona when he thinks the room is empty. Not fun considering my mate decides to try and jump me while we're both sitting there. I might be a Seeker, but that does not mean I'm thinking about that all the time!

Anyways, for the most part, Cybertron has been flourishing since the co-leadership began. There are always areas of problems no matter how well the leaders try to rule. But none of these areas would dare to challenge the rulers considering Galvatron is still the champion of Cybertronian Pit fighting. The only one that could ever dream of beating him was Oriona and I wouldn't put it past her to knock him on his aft so that he behaved himself.

Nothing of any real importance has occurred beyond this point. Well, there are lots of humans running around underfoot now since there is a partnership with Earth. We get some of their resources to fuel Cybertron and we give them some of ours. It isn't an even deal considering we need all the fuel we can get, but it was helping us to send some of our numbers there to live while we tried to rebuild our destroyed home.

My own life isn't too bad; Wingdagger introduced me to my sparkling Padlock and he's a sensible young mech. Downright clingy to his mother though; must be an Autobot thing. Also makes alone time hard to come by since he does not like to leave her side. My other sparkling, Scattershot, is about as much a tech geek as I am. We get along fairly well as long as we're talking about technology. Other than that he's too busy being paranoid to pay attention to much else. Poor thing; this is the result of a Seeker's spark being trapped in a ground-pounder's body.

Oh, there is one other matter of importance that happened in the ten years of peace. We have found Primus; or rather, a human child by the name of "Kicker" found him for us. He is the budding example why some parents should be kicked in the head and asked what they were thinking when they were raising him. Well, the awakening of our creator helped boost Cybertron's energon rations by almost three hundred percent; a small blessing. Oriona and Galvatron meet constantly with him to see what can be done about the state of our world; it's been a huge help, all things considered.

Yet, in spite of all the good things that are happening, I can't help but shake the feeling that something's coming. All of us can feel it; Oriona will stop what she's doing and just stare off into space and Galvatron isn't much better. His horns twitch and he shudders as if he just plunged into the freezing waters off the Gulf of Alaska; I've done that because I hit a flock of geese heading south, not a fun experience. They both know that something's coming. The only thing that worries me is what is coming for us.

Is this thing going to be worse than Unicron?

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

I've always been afraid of the dark. Can't really help that, after all it is one of those phobias that one has no control over. I just wish I wasn't so darn vocal about it; I online my optics to darkness and fragging _whimper_. I can just about feel my lord shudder around me when I make that noise and he's dead! No, not really dead, per say, but rather stuck in suspended animation. Anyways, I hate the darkness and here I am stuck right in the middle of it with no way of getting away.

From about my knees, I'm trapped within the unending darkness. I can't crawl away or run from this never-ending nightmare because of that. I'm left staring at the light that's sitting just beyond the distance I can drag myself. It's a torture, especially when that four faced freak laughs at my predicament! He jeers and laughs at me, taunting me by brightening the lights to just beyond the reach I can stretch my arm out to then dimming them just as fast.

At least I have Sideways to comfort me. He's not afraid of the darkness like I am. He holds me even though I know how pathetic I must look to him. He's barely more than a ghost and I, who is still alive, fear more things than there are fuel lines in my body. But he doesn't complain, bless his spark. He's never voiced him opinion the numerous times I've curled up on his lap. He's kept me content through these long ten years, but lately he's been acting a little funny.

I watch him stare off into space for hours at lengths before he moves to stroke my helm. He never answers me when I ask him what's wrong. He probably doesn't think I'd be able to understand what he feels. He says he's an extension of Unicron and can feel what our master is going through, but I'm not so sure that's the truth. Sideways has his own spark, not an empty husk where Unicron's presence sat. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he just became so attached to him, kind of like my own predicament, that he just knows everything about our master.

I can feel a slight twinge through my legs every few days and Four-Face has started to get antsy. He keeps squealing like some Earth animal about energon; be nice if he sent some my way. Sideways' actions almost mirror Four-Face's but his moments are less perceptible to anyone but one as close as myself. He twitches and I can hear his engines whine a little before his head comes up with brightened optics. The two beings in the shadows are moving too, lifting their heads every now and again as if they can sense something too.

I understand now what is going on and my excitement joins in with the others. Unicron is on the move again. Which, if I may assume so, means that soon I might get my legs back. Four-Face had better start running if I do because so help me Primus I'm blowing his aft straight back into the pit he crawled out of!

**Author's note:** And that's the first chapter! This is inspired by that little monologue Demolisher gives at the beginning of the _Energon_ series. I found it necessary to give different descriptions about what's going on in the three main settings; Earth, Cybertron, and...I'll let you all guess. Many more interesting chapters are soon to come so stick around to watch the updates; though they may be a _little_ slow for a bit because I have exams coming up in about a week.


	2. Returning to Earth

Chapter 2 Returning to Earth

Oriona Pax stood in the command center of the Cybertron Energon Exploration and Research Center and sighed slightly. She could see the humans running around on the lower levels, shouting to one another as they exchanged information. The mechs in behind her at the consoles were not as noisy, their voices never rising above normal conversation, but she did not care for the noise level. Her thoughts were turned inwards to the growing anxiety that had been plaguing her for weeks.

Her spark was warning her of a coming disaster; the only problem was that she couldn't figure out what it was. She would have given her left leg to understand what the problem was so that she could prepare the planet for it. She did not want the same catastrophe to befall Cybertron like when Unicron attacked. They had all worked so hard to repair the damage that the war and Unicron had caused; to have it all stripped away would be a low blow to everyone. That was the last thing she wanted after moral was slowly rising everywhere. She vented a sigh before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist a second before her mate's face was pressed into her neck.

"Morning," he purred before kissing her cheek.

"Morning, recharge-head," she replied before reaching up to pet his face.

He huffed at her before straightening up and narrowing his eyes at the humans on the floor below. "Anything new?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied before tilting her head. "No, actually, Tidal Wave reported in a little while ago to say that they've been picking up weird energy frequencies. Hound's looking into it."

He nodded before rubbing his forehead. "If I don't stop dreaming about darkness sucking me into it I'm going to go insane," he grumbled.

"More so than normal?" she teased before stepping forward as one of the humans walked towards them. "Doctor Jones," she greeted while her mate let out an indignant snort behind her.

"Oriona," the human greeted with a large beaming smile, "good morning to you. And Galvatron, just rolled out of bed?"

"Restless night," Galvatron replied before Dr. Jones climbed up onto the stand that let him be eye-level with Oriona.

"Don't I know it," Oriona grumbled while rubbing her backside. "You kick in your sleep."

He grumbled an apology before he glanced at the blond boy that had ran up beside the older man. Rad White was one of the head researchers of energon uses for Earth and liked to point out that he knew the Transformers longer than anyone. Oriona smiled at him and nodded before Dr. Jones patted his back and cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to him.

"I'm proud to say that we're making a lot of progress with turning energon into useable energy for Earth's inhabitants," he stated with a grin. "This energy is so much cleaner than any that humans have made from the resources around us. I have to thank you for your patience with us and our unending questions."

She smiled before glancing at her mate, frowning and elbowing him when she saw his pained grimace. He smirked before wiping the grimace from his face when Rad cleared his throat, the young human giving him a small glare before looking back at his superior. Dr. Jones was still rambling about Earth's obvious debt to Cybertron for helping them. Galvatron had the nerve to shake his head before cutting the scientist off with a quick motion of his hand.

"I'm sure you could explain your gratitude in another manner," he stated before forcing a smile to his face.

"Of course," the scientist laughed. "Rad, were you going to say something?"

Rad smirked before nodding. "Yes sir," he replied before looking up at them. "We've discovered energon on Earth."

They all stared at him before Dr. Jones leapt forward and grabbed Rad's arms, demanding to know why he didn't say anything sooner. He was gone in a flash, running across the room to get to the communications room. A loud shout went up before Starscream came dancing into the room, hopping from one foot to the other as he tried not to step on the man. He cursed violently before ploughing Galvatron into the ground, yelping in surprise as his face connected squarely with Galvatron's chest. Oriona darted to the side to avoid getting squashed, blinking at the two mechs sprawled out on the ground before giggling at their state.

The other mechs in the room laughed as well, smirking as Starscream clambered to his feet to help Galvatron back up. He made a comment about humans getting underfoot too much before he saluted to both leaders.

"I've got bad news," he stated before Kup lifted his head from where he was sitting.

"There is no bad news," he stated sagely. "Only news."

"The asteroid field where one of our refineries is located was just attacked," Starscream went on, his optics hard. "Tidal Wave's been heavily injured and is en route for Cybertron."

"Alright, that's bad news," Kup relented before stepping forward. "How's Tidal Wave doing?"

"Critical condition, but he should make a full recovery if Ratchet, Red Alert, and Quickstart can get started on him ASAP," he replied.

Oriona gave Galvatron a worried look before tilting her head. "What the status of the refinery?" she asked.

"Obliterated," he sighed before shaking his head. "Casualties keep climbing; Hound's there now looking for survivors."

"Any idea what attacked?" Galvatron demanded.

"Eye-witness accounts say that it was mechanical beings with aviary and felidaen alt modes."

"Uh...," Rad voiced before shaking his head. "Say what now?"

"Cybertronians with bird or cat alt modes," Oriona dumbed down for him. "But why would they attack our bases?"

"No idea," Starscream replied before smirking. "I'll handle getting the information for you two. Aren't you supposed to be at a demonstration in the training arena right about you?"

Oriona laughed before nodding. Galvatron snorted and told his former SIC to get the information as fast as he could and to get the other refineries and mines to be on high alert; they were not going to risk another catastrophe. Starscream saluted again before turning around to order the mechs at the screens to get on it, taking his own station under control in a matter of moments. Both leaders nodded before turning to exit the building, transforming once they were outside to head for the training arena located across the city.

They travelled in comfortable silence, speed matching each other perfectly. Several mechs saluted as they transformed outside the arena, to whom they nodded to before heading in. Galvatron was more at home with other Cybertronians as opposed to humans, appearing as a far more respectable leader than as a tyrant. They walked into the training grounds and looked calmly at the young mechs and femmes training with one another.

Scavenger was shouting to different pairs to fix their grips, tripping one pair up when they snarled something in return. Both young mechs leapt back to their feet amidst the laughter of the other students, hanging their heads before lunging at each other again. The pairs went back to grappling, two mechs looking rather pathetic as they tried not to harm their femme partners who where obviously not impressed with the lack of effort. Galvatron roared with laughter when both femmes flipped the mechs over their shoulder and slammed them into the ground, sneering down at the stunned mechs before jumping up and high-fiving each other.

"Good show you two," Oriona congratulated them as the two leaders walked over. "But in a real fight, knock your opponent into a daze before lifting them up; makes their body go limp and then they are easier to lift."

"I'll remember that!" one of the femme replied with a big smile.

"Same here!" the other agreed.

Scavenger called everyone over, knocking a few of the mechs into each other before snorting. He told them that Galvatron and Oriona would fight them one on one to show how real soldiers worked. He grinned when he mentioned that if Oriona kicked their skid plates not to feel embarrassed; mechs twice her sized have cowered in fear. The two femmes giggled at the uneasy looks the mechs exchanged while Oriona just shook her head. Scavenger asked who wanted to fight Galvatron first and several of the larger mechs lifted their hand immediately.

Galvatron snorted before nudging Oriona to the side, his optics darkening before he braced himself. The largest mech out of the group charged forward, bellowing loudly before slamming into Galvatron's unmoving frame. They grappled for a moment before Galvatron flipped the younger mech onto his back and slammed his foot into his chest, holding him down. The students gasped in surprise at the sheer speed that Galvatron took the mech out with; apparently, he was the strongest one in the group. One of the femmes took a deep breath as the mech limped back into the ground and stepped forward.

"I'll go next," she stated shakily.

Galvatron's optics softened before he chuckled. "Don't get offended if I don't go all out with you," he stated. "I don't want Ratchet to come after me because I damaged you severly."

She nodded before lunging at him. Galvatron stepped out of the way, smirking as she landed daintily on her feet. She spun around and tried to swipe his feet out from under him, only to find that he was gone. He stepped behind her and aimed a fist for her back, slamming it instead into the ground as she vaulted away. She flipped herself over and launched herself at him, only to cry out in shock as his hand closed delicately around her throat. He slammed her into the ground and held her there, smiling and nodding as she stopped struggling.

The other students stared in shock before Galvatron allowed her to climb back to her feet. She rubbed her head and looked at her feet before Galvatron tilted his head curiously.

"Training to be a ninjabot?" he asked.

"Yes sir," she replied, blinking her yellow optics several times.

"What's your name?"

"Nightbird, sir," she replied.

"Ah," he chuckled before nodding. "I thought you looked familiar. You're Wheeljack's little sister, aren't you?"

Her optics widened before she nodded again. "He served you during the Great War," she murmured before bowing her head shyly. "I always hoped I would get a similar honour, but now that the war's over I guess I never will."

Galvatron smirked before glancing over at Oriona, who was smirking in return. "We could always use a ninjabot in the ranks, don't you agree, Oriona?" he asked.

"Definitely," she replied before smiling fondly at the small grey and purple femme. "Especially one with such promise."

Nightbird's optics widened before she smiled happily. "Thank you!" she cried out before blushing up. "I'll train hard to reach your expectations."

"That's not a problem," Scavenger laughed as the young femme rejoined the group. "She's one of my best students."

Galvatron chuckled before nodding to Oriona, signalling a change. She smirked before walking to stand in front of the group, hands on her hips before she asked who was next. The other femme, a small orange and red femme, leapt forward next, blue optics sparkling with excitement. Oriona nodded before telling her not to hold back before they leapt at each other. She landed three quick jabs to the younger femme's torso before darting back to avoid a poorly timed upper-cut. The younger femme's optics narrowed before she threw a punch at her face. Oriona caught it and dragged the femme forward into her awaiting fist, making her let out a gasp of pain as she crumpled slightly. Oriona easily lifted her over her shoulder and let her fall into the ground with a soft thud.

The young femme stared up at the sky in a daze, her face scrunched up slightly in pain before she rolled slowly to her feet. She bowed her head in defeat before Oriona bowed her head with a soft smile.

"You have a lot of power," she commented.

"Thank you," the young femme murmured.

"I'm guessing your parents were Decepticons during the war," she continued before tilting her head to the side. "Was your mother Firestar?"

"Yes," the younger femme replied before blinking in surprise. "How'd you guess?"

"You're colours are very similar to hers," she replied before smiling. "How is she?"

"Fine," the femme replied before smiling. "She's a little restless because the war's over but she's getting use to everything again."

"Give her my regards," Oriona chuckled before the young femme darted back into the group. "And she was...?"

"Flare-up," Scavenger chuckled as the femme glanced at him with a weak grin. "Alright, who's next?"

"I'll go!" a mech called before Ironhide wiggled his way to the front.

The other mechs snickered at him before sneering at him. Oriona lifted an optic ridge but didn't say anything as Ironhide walked forward to stand opposite her.

"I'm not going easy on you," she stated.

"I'd be insulted if you did," he replied with a grin. "Prepare to lose!"

He charged forward, planning on bowling her over by the looks of it. She easily stepped to the side and stuck her foot out, smirking down at him as he tripped and landed in a heap on the ground. She shook her head before planting her foot on his back, hearing him growl slightly in embarrassment. She stepped back and told him to try again and not be so cocky. She shot her mate an amused look as he chuckled before ducking a punch thrown haphazardly at her head.

She crouched down and easily swept his feet out from under him, shaking her head as he hit the ground. She let out an amused laugh as he rolled back to his feet and prepared to attack. She ducked another punch and slipped around behind him, planting her right foot down firmly before she dealt a kick to his back that sent him sprawling on his front. She planted her foot down firmly on his back again before patting his head and stepping back.

"Who's next?" she called, watching in amusement as the other mechs shook their heads.

"I'll go again," Ironhide stated as he stood up.

Oriona and Galvatron both chuckled before Oriona set her hands on her hips. "I like your attitude, Ironhide," she commented before smiling. "You're a lot like Hot Shot."

Ironhide's optics widened before he blinked in surprise. "Really?" he asked. Galvatron nodded before a siren went off, drawing everyone's attention and filling the arena with anxious murmurs.

"That's enough for today," Galvatron stated before looking down at her. "Let's go."

She nodded before they both raced out of the arena, worry coursing down the bond. Ironhide and Side Swipe's curiosity peaked for a moment before they vanished, realizing that they were not included in the worry. They transformed the minute they were outside, skidding slightly as they headed for the old Autobot headquarters, Galvatron already shouting down his com-link for Starscream to get his aft over there. They speed through the empty streets as fast as they could, reaching the headquarters at the same time as Starscream.

"Any idea what this is about?" Oriona asked as they headed for the command center, minding the humans that were running around.

"Vaguely," Starscream replied. "Apparently our Mars base has been attacked."

"No," she whispered. "Any idea what attacked this one?"

Starscream shook his head before they raced into the command center. Galvatron snarled for a status report and it was Ultra Magnus who turned to them with worried optics. He explained that, as of now, there were no reported survivors from the Mars base. They had search teams deployed already that were turning up nothing around the wreckage. On top of that, all of the energon that had been stored there was missing, stolen from them by the same Cybertronians that attacked the asteroid belt.

She sighed sadly before shaking her head. "We've got to get to Earth," she murmured before frowning. "Inform Hot Shot of the danger while we head over there."

Ultra Magnus nodded before he turned back to his screen and started typing away. Rad and Dr. Jones looked over at her from where they were standing on the catwalk, their faces filled with concern. Dr. Jones asked her if she could deliver something to Kicker for him, saying that he was worried for his son's recklessness if they were indeed about to be attacked. She sensed both Starscream and Galvatron winding up to snarl at him and quickly told him that she'd be happy to deliver it.

Galvatron told Starscream to go find Inferno and meet them at the space bridge gate. The Seeker saluted before leaving the room. Oriona glanced around before spotted Side Swipe staring at her from where he was sitting. She waved him over before she and Galvatron turned and left the room, heading for the rendezvous point. Side Swipe caught up quickly, his blue optics bright with excitement and apprehension.

"What do you think attacked the base?" he asked.

"No idea," she replied with a soft sigh as she made sure Dr. Jones' present was stored away safely. "But whatever it was, it's a threat to every Cybertronian out there."

Galvatron nodded in agreement before he glanced down at Side Swipe. "Don't get any ideas to play hero," he ordered, his optics hard but full of concern.

Side Swipe laughed before nodding. "I'll keep my head on the whole time, Father, don't worry," he promised.

Galvatron smirked before they reached the space bridge gate. They all exchanged amused smirks as they watched Flamewar fuss over Inferno, running a hand over his helm in spite of his protests. Starscream and Thundercracker where snickering just to the pair's left, swapping knowing looks before Inferno finally managed to get the older femme to stop. He was flushed with embarrassment as Flamewar stepped back to revel them, grumbling about mothers before shouldering his gun. Thundercracker and Starscream nodded to each other before the smaller blue Seeker walked over to his mate and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She let out a soft sniff that sounded like "my baby's growing up" before nodding to Galvatron and Oriona.

"Galvatron!" Ironhide's voice shouted before they turned to watch him race over to them.

"What's wrong, Ironhide?" Galvatron asked.

"I...I want to come with you," he panted, his blue optics shining with hope.

"This isn't a game, Ironhide," Oriona stated calmly.

"I know," he replied before looking directly into her optics. "But I want to prove myself; I know I can do this!"

Galvatron chuckled before glancing at Starscream. The Seeker sighed before nodding, a knowing smirk on his face as Ironhide punched the air. Side Swipe stood beside his brother and the two of them punched fists, grinning like idiots before Oriona called to Rad to open the space bridge. They all transformed and proceeded single file up the ramp into the open space bridge. Ironhide and Side Swipe were letting out shouts of amazement as they drove along the path set out for them, earning a gentle rebuke from Starscream to pay attention to the road. As the other end of the space bridge neared, the sound of echoing gun shots reached them.

"Prepare for battle!" Oriona shouted before they all blasted out of the space bridge.

They all transformed and started shooting the minute they could see who their target was. Starscream flew by and started firing on the avian Transformers attacking Ocean City, a loud screech ripping from his vocals. Oriona landed beside a stunned human youngling and shot the cat-former that was about to leap on him with a soft snort. Galvatron landed behind her and started shooting at the advancing line, snarling viciously while flashing his fangs.

"Remember me, Kicker?" she asked gently before turning to fire alongside her mate.

"Yeah," the youngling murmured. "You're Oriona Pax. 'Bout time you guys showed up!"

She smirked at him before shouting at Inferno to go give Hot Shot a hand before she kicked another cat-former that had escaped Galvatron's gun. Ironhide and Side Swipe were standing behind them, shooting at the avian Cybertronians so that they didn't overwhelm Starscream. Kicker let out a growl before taking off towards the advancing line, shouting that he didn't need them to protect him.

"Ironhide, follow him!" Galvatron snarled before he stopped firing. "I'm going to end up shooting him by mistake!"

"I'm on it!" Ironhide shouted before transforming and driving after the human.

"This one's worse than the last batch," Galvatron snorted before turning his gun on the flying attackers. "At least they stayed out of my way!"

"Grouch," she teased before shooting at the birds.

"You wouldn't have me any other way," he replied with a smirk before he turned his head in the direction that Ironhide and Kicker had gone. "Kicker has a lot of nerve kicking Ironhide."

She looked over and felt her fuel lines freeze as one of the birds that Ironhide had just shot exploded. Kicker cried out in terror as he was catapulted into the air, tumbling end over end towards the ground. She reached into her subspace and grasped Kicker's present tightly in her fist before she threw it as hard as she could towards him. Her aim was as impeccable as ever, catching Kicker in the chest so that the hand-crafted suit of armor wrapped around him. He hit the ground after it finished forming, rolling a short distance unharmed before he managed to climb back to his feet.

He was staring at his armor in shock as the last of the attackers were destroyed, not responding to anyone until they were towering over him. He looked up at her, his gaze through the visor of his helmet demanding answers. She smiled before resting her hands on her hips.

"A gift from your father," she stated gently.

"Him again?" Kicker growled before pulling the helmet off.

"Yes," she replied before shaking her head. "He knows you well enough, Kicker. You won't listen to anyone when it comes to your own safety so he made you that suit of armor."

Galvatron snorted before turning his head to watch Hot Shot and Inferno drive towards them. "As much as you'd like to think it, you are not a soldier, child," he stated coldly. "You are a soft, squishy human that could easily be destroyed by any of our guns."

"Galvatron," she hissed, elbowing him. "That's not helping!"

"The child should start living in reality instead of his own little dream world," Galvatron growled in return before glaring down at him. "If he wants to fight beside us in this conflict, than he has to accept that he is weaker than everyone else." He ignored Kicker's enraged growling before looking at Hot Shot and Inferno as they transformed and stood behind Oriona. "Start accepting the help of the senior warriors, child, and you might live to see the next sunrise."

Oriona sighed as he ordered everyone back to the city for a mission update. He was as bitter and grouchy with humans as he ever was, but he had a valid point. Kicker would have to accept their help or he would end up being killed.

"Yeah?!" Kicker shouted at Galvatron's back as he walked away. "I don't need your help! I can look after myself, do you hear me! I don't need any stupid robot's assistance!"

"Kicker," Oriona sighed before transforming and opening the door to her alt mode, "yelling at Galvatron will only result in you getting stepped on."

"What, you can't control him?" he sneered before crossing his arms like a moody sparkling.

"No more than he can control me," she chuckled. "Get in; I'll drive you back."

Kicker gave her a searing glare before climbing in and huffing in the front seat. She sighed softly under the roar of her engine before speeding after the others. She felt Side Swipe brush against her side gently before he revved his engine playfully and tried to pull ahead. She laughed before gunning her engine and took off, making Kicker yelp in surprise, his eyes wide, before he actually laughed and whooped. She smiled to herself as she raced her son, enticing Hot Shot to join in as they swerved around his legs. It was a full blown race as the other three mechs joined in, hooting and hollering as they gave chase.

**Author's note:** Kay, I'm hoping to keep these chapters shorter than the other ones but just as detailed and full of all the joy that came from _It Takes a Girl_. As you can see, we're jumping right into the action once again with some more G1 cameos! XD We might see them again later on or they might just be cameos for the sake of cameos. You will also note that Oriona does not shout "I'll save you Kicker" before throwing the suit at him; honestly, that is the dumbest line I've ever heard come out of Prime's mouth. How is throwing something at him that had a good chance of missing be saving Kicker? Idiot. Kicker might have more appearances in this story than any other human character because I personally love this guy ;p


	3. Enter Scorponok

Chapter 3 Enter Scorponok

Oriona yawned before snuggling closer to Galvatron, her antennas twitching slightly as she registered someone at the door and knocking loudly. She barely lifted her head before the door opened, revealing a red and black Seeker with a small smirk, probably happy that she figured out their password; she'd have to change it again later. Flamewar had showed up the minute they had gotten in touch with Cybertron to tell the other stations to be on the lookout, claiming that she'd been having nightmares for weeks about something hurting Inferno to the point that he died. Inferno had been mortified that his mother was acting like such a "weirdo" with the other mechs around, but no one had said a word; Seekers had an uncanny ability to see things the rest of them did not.

Flamewar walked over and stood just at the end of the berth, leaning over to smirk at her. "Up and at 'em, bosslady," she teased.

Oriona laughed before poking Galvatron's chest, earning a soft grunt that he was getting up as he patted her leg. She sat up and stretched, rubbing her back as she glanced around for her chest plate. Her mate had an annoying habit of throwing it aside when they were interfacing and it always took forever to find. She didn't mind the fact that Flamewar could see her without her armor on considering it was just her chest plate. She wasn't an exhibitionist by any means, but she had never been one to be extremely conservative. She heard Galvatron roll over with a groan behind her, patting her aft as she hung over the side of the berth to reach her chest plate, before Flamewar let out a noise mixed between a gag and a gasp. She glanced at the other femme and lifted an optic ridge curiously at her gawking expression.

"What?" she asked.

"That...that...that _monster_ fits in you?!" she demanded before pointing at Galvatron's hanging member as it lay in all its mech glory without his pelvic plating to hide it.

Both of them looked at it in surprise, blinking in confusion at her statement. "Uh...yeah?" she replied before scratching her head. "So?"

"I thought Seekers' tubes were big, but Galvatron's takes the cake!" Flamewar yelped before leaping back. "Ooh! I'm in pain just thinking about it!"

Galvatron and Oriona shook their heads before Galvatron stood up and started looking for his pelvic plating, shifting through the armor to find it; all of it was his anyways. Flamewar leaned over and asked once again if it actually fit in her and she just looked at her and told her to get out before she threw something sharp. The femme laughed before leaving and closing the door behind her, shaking her head in disbelief. Oriona glanced over at Galvatron before tilting her helm.

"Is it really _that _big?" she asked curiously.

Galvatron looked over at her before smirking. "You don't know?" he laughed before winking. "You never compared me to Jetfire?"

"Uh," she blushed up before coughing. "No...never."

"Really?" he asked before sighing. "Aw, I was hoping you made him jealous with the fact that mine was bigger."

Oriona grumbled slightly as she shifted uncomfortably; she honestly had never paid attention to this kind of thing. She didn't know there was that big of a deal over size of a mech's tube; was she that out of touch with the world? She felt her mate's arms wrap around her chest before he kissed her neck, murmuring into her audio that it wasn't that big of a deal; mech's just had big egos if they found out their tube was bigger than someone else's.

She rolled her optics before turning around to kiss him, shaking her head at his smirk. She gave him a small shove before standing up and striding out the door, after making sure that all her armor was on, of course. She could hear him following her, his interest purring down the bond with enough intensity that their three sons shuddered in disgust. She would have laughed at their reaction, but since she had just walked into the command center, she decided against it. She didn't need anyone wondering what was wrong with her; humans did not seem to grasp the complexities of a bond.

"Oriona," Inferno greeted as he saluted.

"Any sign of our avian friends?" she asked before Galvatron walked up behind her.

"Not so much as a bleep," Starscream snorted from where he was leaning on the wall. "They've been too quite the last few days...unlike a certain pair of leaders I know."

"Hey, I turned the sound-proof system on," Galvatron snorted before smirking. "You had your audio pressed to the door, didn't you? Now really, go self-service somewhere else where humans won't see you."

"LALALALALALALA!" Hot Shot sang as he clapped his hands over his audios and stamped his feet to drown them out. "I CAN'T HEAR A WORD YOU'RE SAYING! LALALALALA!"

"Ugh, who's singing offkey?" Kicker demanded as he walked out of the doorway on the upper deck. "It's horrible."

Hot Shot looked at him before shaking his head, grumbling about not wanting to know. Kicker demanded to know why he got called here if nothing was happening before Alexis walked in just ahead of Demolisher. She nodded to Oriona and Galvatron before Starscream offered her a hand to get onto the platform that was floating at optic-level with some of the taller mechs.

"Thank you for coming everyone," Alexis stated before turning to the screen behind her as it flashed to show an image of the avian Cybertronians. "As you are well aware, we have been under numerous attacks from these unknown Cybertronians, codenamed Terrorcons. There are no signs or indicators to show where they keep coming from or where they are going."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kicker spat.

"Due to the Cybertronian Peace Treaty, we are unable to wage any form of counter strike against these invaders," she continued before gasping in shock as Kicker leapt onto the platform beside her and growled.

"Are you suggesting that we just let them wipe the floor with us?" he demanded.

"We cannot attack them unless we are attacked first," Alexis replied, getting over her shock quickly. "The Treaty forbids...."

"Yeah, yeah," Kicker snapped before growling again. "I say we screw the Treaty and go after them! This is our planet! Or do you love Cybertron more now?"

"That's enough, Kicker," Oriona stated before she picked him up by the neck of his suit. "Alexis, I want you to get every human in the city to a more secure location. We will keep the refinery safe from any future attack."

"And the treaty?" Alexis asked.

"Will be broken if it means protecting Earth and Cybertron," Galvatron replied while shooting Oriona a slightly disgusted look. "Please tell me you are not planning on keeping him as a pet."

Kicker let out an indignant shout before she shot her mate a glare. "No," she stated calmly as the human began to struggle in her grip, "but he can be of some use to us."

"I'm no one's pet!" Kicker shouted.

"How do you plan on making him useful?" Galvatron demanded.

"His ability to predict attacks will be most beneficial," she replied before setting Kicker down on the platform after Alexis had climbed down and started ushering people towards the exits. "And you," she added as she poked Galvatron's chest, "stop questioning my motives! It's bad enough that I'm shorter than I use to be, I don't need you going behind my back and retracting my commands!"

He just rolled his optics before shaking his head. He ordered Starscream to ensure that there were no humans hanging behind before the screen flashed to life. Everyone stared at it as Carlos' face swam into view.

"Bad news?" Hot Shot asked.

"Our moon base was just hit," he replied. "Even though we were ready for it, they still made a real mess of everything. On top of that, Cyclonus has vanished."

"What?!"

"Impossible!"

"Are you sure?"

Oriona motioned for silence before she looked at Carlos. "Have you tried a hailing frequency?" she asked.

Carlos nodded. "He hasn't responded," he replied before shaking his head. "Even Cyclonus isn't dumb enough not to answer after a base attack."

Everyone looked at each other with worry. Cyclonus was one of the highest ranking members on the moon base. For him to just vanish without a trace did not bode well with anyone. Also, fear of Quickstart's wrath certainly didn't help anything considering how extremely violent she was when it came to the chopper's welfare. No one wanted to be the one to tell her that Cyclonus was missing.

Galvatron told Carlos to run through as many of the old Decepticon com link frequency as he could; one of them was bound to work. Cyclonus might have simply gone into hiding until the attack was long over and it was safe to re-emerge; he wasn't above such a cowardly move. Carlos nodded before cutting the feed, leaving the whole room feeling uneasy. Demolisher wasn't saying anything, his gaze on his feet before he turned and left the room without as much as a glance at anyone.

"What's eating him?" Ironhide asked.

"Demolisher and Cyclonus were pals during the war," Side Swipe replied.

"Decepticons had friends?" Ironhide asked before Inferno cuffed him. "Ow! Sorry, forgot you were a Con."

This time it was Flamewar that smacked him, glaring at him as he lay sprawled on the ground. Oriona shook her head as Side Swipe and Hot Shot laughed at their brother's state, ignoring his groan for help. Kicker let out a snort before crossing his arms and demanding to know why he was being kept here. Oriona looked at him before smirking at Galvatron.

"Because I'm assigning you a guardian," she replied. "A partner, if you will."

"Hey!" Kicker shouted before leaping to his feet and glaring at her. "I do not need a baby-sitter!"

She gave him a long look before glancing at Ironhide as he stood up slowly, rubbing his head several times. "Ironhide, I'm putting Kicker's welfare into your hands," she stated calmly.

"SAY WHAT?!" Kicker demanded as Ironhide looked at her in disbelief.

"Oriona, you can't be serious?" Ironhide whined.

"Ironhide," Galvatron warned before smirking. "Besides, I think this will be a great chance for you two to mature a little."

"I'm mature!" Ironhide shouted.

"Are not," Side Swipe laughed.

"Am too!"

"Are not."

"Am too!"

"Are not."

"Am too!"

"My point is being proven," his twin laughed before waving. "Have fun with your new partner, bro."

Kicker snarled before jumping off the platform and storming off, shouting about not needing a guardian. Ironhide shot them all one last desperate look before sulking after him. Side Swipe snickered before Hot Shot clamped his hand over his mouth and shook his head, grinning in mirth in spite of himself. Oriona sighed before shaking her head, telling everyone that they could return to their duties. Everyone but Starscream and Galvatron left the room at the order, glancing at her before the blue Seeker shook his head.

"What on Cybertron made you decide to pair your charming little mech up with that undisciplined youth?" he asked.

She smirked before lifting an optic ridge. "Do I have to tell you the same thing I told Galvatron?" she asked before shaking her head. "Doesn't anyone trust my judgement anymore?"

Both mechs smirked at each other before nodding slowly, grinning at her innocently before she groaned and shook her head. She turned towards the monitors and brought up an image of just outside the base, the camera zooming in on Demolisher immediately. He was standing quietly off to one side, his head hanging as his shoulders slouched. Her spark gave a small pang of pity for him before she typed another command into the console and focused on the sky. The green and purple mech would blow a fuse if he found out she pitied him.

Galvatron's arm wrapped around her waist before he leant over her and vented a soft sigh. She was comforted by his presence, leaning into him with a soft purr before she glanced up at him. His face was expressionless, but his own fear and pain for Cyclonus' disappearance hung heavy in the bond. He didn't like the thought of the mech being gone either, but he was smart enough to hide his comments from the others.

She sighed before wrapping her arms around his, leaning her head into his shoulder. Her fear and doubts pulsed down the bond, echoing his for a moment before he pulled her closer and pressed his face into her neck. He murmured softly that everything was going to be alright, no matter what. They defeated Unicron and they would defeat this menace, no matter who it was. She was only slightly relieved with his comfort, knowing that he was saying it more to keep her calm.

Starscream was silent for a moment before they heard a soft beep as he activated a monitor. They both glanced over before he asked Kup to patch him through to Wingdagger. They looked at each other before quietly leaving the room, realizing just how much this predicament worried him. For him to call Wingdagger meant that he was extremely worried and needed his mate's comfort; they were not going to invade that private time.

They walked along the hallway until Oriona collapsed on a window sill overlooking the ocean. She stared out the window as Galvatron sat down beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders comfortingly. She snuggled against his side and vented a quiet sigh before closing her optics. They sat there for a long time, lost in their own little world until fast approaching footsteps made them look up.

"Are you two busy?" Kicker demanded as he stopped in front of them.

"No," Galvatron stated as she moved away to get a better look at the human. "Why?"

"Something's wrong with Demolisher," he growled before crossing his arms like a spoiled brat. "He's acting really weird."

"His best friend just vanished," Galvatron snapped before shaking his head. "You expect him to be a heap of sunshine and roses?"

"The patronising isn't needed!" Kicker snarled. "I mean he's acting...I can't explain it! Just follow me already!"

They both looked at each other and Galvatron looked two seconds away from just stepping on him. She shot him a look before standing up and following the youngling outside. Sure enough, there was Demolisher shooting at the sky while bellowing as loud as he could. Ironhide was sitting off to the side nursing a slowly bleeding leg while Side Swipe tried to wrestle Demolisher to the ground. It looked as if Demolisher had taken his worry out on Ironhide and Side Swipe, only for the plan to backfire in his face when Side Swipe fought back. Galvatron raced ahead and grabbed Demolisher by the head, snarling viciously before whipping him against the side of the building.

Demolisher let out a snarl before turning his shoulder turrets on Galvatron, only to yelp in surprise as the wall beside him was shot. Galvatron snarled again, his gun focused on Demolisher's head as he bared his fangs to display his dominance. Side Swipe leapt up beside him and let out a similar snarl as he brought his fists up in preparation to attack. Oriona motioned for Kicker to stick close as she knelt down beside Ironhide, resting a hand on his helm to make sure he didn't move. Her optics were focused on the standoff in front of them, waiting for Demolisher to come back to his senses.

It seemed to last an eternity, the air filled with exchanged snarls and a few warning shots before Demolisher grew still. Kicker looked between Galvatron and the offending mech before the former Decepticon leader relaxed his stance, resting a hand on Side Swipe's shoulder to make him calm down. The young mech relaxed his stance but the growl continued ringing through the air for a little while longer.

"Forgive me, Galvatron," Demolisher murmured, looking at his feet. "I...lost control."

Galvatron's optics darkened for a moment before he looked at Ironhide. "You injured Ironhide," he stated.

"It was an accident," Side Swipe growled before shaking his head. "We tried to restrain Demolisher from harming Kicker and he end up shooting him."

Galvatron looked down at the mech before snarling and making him cringe. "And if you had killed him?" he demanded before throwing an arm in their direction. "How do you explain to us that you killed another solider?"

"I lost control," Demolisher whimpered. "I didn't mean to shoot him."

Galvatron struck out and his claws raked down Demolisher's arm, making his cry out in pain. He shuffled away from the enraged leader, dipping his head and whimpering apologies, and cringe when Galvatron released another snarl before turning and storming off. Demolisher stared after him, visibly trembling before looking sullenly into his lap.

"Why's it always me?" he murmured before Side Swipe offered him a hand.

"He's not really mad at you," Side Swipe stated before helping him back to his feet. "You were just an outlet."

"Of course," Demolisher sighed before shaking his head. "Sorry about attacking you, youngling. I don't know why I just lost it."

"You're worried about Cyclonus," Oriona stated as she turned to get a better look at Ironhide's injury. "Just like the rest of us."

Demolisher let out a soft grumble before walking over and kneeling beside her. He silently offered his assistance before moving in to get a gauge of the damage. Ironhide kept still the whole time the two senior warriors cleaned his leg up, his optics overcast with regret and misery. Side Swipe sat down next to his twin and looked at him curiously, tilting his head to the side before poking his arm. Ironhide barely twitched a horn in response before he shook with silent sobs.

"This is all my fault," he murmured.

"You're the only mech I know," Demolisher laughed before rubbing Ironhide's helm affectionately, "that takes the blame for getting hurt."

"But it is my fault!" he argued before hanging his head. "I should have kept a better optic on Kicker and stopped him from antagonizing you!"

Oriona gave Kicker a heated look that he wisely avoided. He had conveniently left out the part about being the problem when he came to get them. Come to think of it, he could have easily told them that Demolisher was shooting at live targets when he said he was acting weird. Demolisher chuckled before shaking his head, explaining that he would have attacked someone sooner or later anyways. His aggression levels, like any Decepticon, escalate when their emotions get out of hand; Kicker ended up just being an outlet. Ironhide refused to meet his optics, his body language showing that he still blamed himself.

Side Swipe hugged his brother's shoulders, rubbing his head against his soothingly while emitting soft coos. Kicker looked at the two before taking a step backwards his face showing his confusion.

"What's wrong with them?" he demanded before grimacing. "Are they...uh...you know...?"

"Brothers?" Oriona asked before smirking. "Cybertronian twins are different from human twins, Kicker."

"Twins? Really?" he asked before blinking. "But that doesn't explain..._this_!"

"Cybertronian twins share a spark," Demolisher stated before he stood up, cleaning his hands on a spare rag he kept in his subspace. "It's one whole spark spread out over two bodies. They share pain, feelings, thoughts, and pleasure far better than any bond."

"Which is why my aggression sky-rocketed too," Side Swipe stated as he stood up, keeping a hand on his brother's head. "Ironhide's pain was my pain too and the Decepticon coding in me reacted by making me more aggressive to keep the attacker at bay."

"Wait, you use to be Decepticon?" Kicker demanded.

"No, our father was," Side Swipe sighed before shaking his head. "Did you pay attention to _anything_ while you were on Cybertron?"

"No," Kicker replied before glaring at him. "Who's your father?"

"Galvatron," Oriona stated calmly before trying to coax Ironhide to his feet. "Hence why he became so aggressive as well. You thought Autobot were protective of their young; you've never seen a Decepticon in action."

Kicker's mouth gaped for a moment before he shook his head quickly. "Talk about information overload!" he moaned before glaring at Ironhide. "Hey, you can get up now. Your leg is fixed."

Ironhide barely twitched in response, his gaze on his lap instead. Side Swipe grumbled that he was wallowing in self-pity and shook his head in exasperation. Oriona glanced at Kicker again before making a small motion for him to get Ironhide back on track. Kicker rolled his eyes before storming over and kicking Ironhide in the head as hard as he could.

Ironhide let out a squawk before demanding to know if Kicker wanted to get kicked back. He was on his feet in a flash chasing the human around, making sure not to actually step on him. Oriona shook her head before she felt Side Swipe touch her arm. She glanced at him and he pointed towards the sky, his optics wide in shock.

"Look!" he hissed before racing forward. "It's Cyclonus!"

She snapped her head up as a familiar laugh echoed down her com link, heralding in the white helicopter before she saw him drop out of the sky. She let a shout pass down the bond, breaking through Galvatron's brooding, before she rushed forward after Side Swipe. Demolisher was right on her heels, his optics wide with relief as the familiar form of Cyclonus landed on the deck. He tipped his head back and gave his wild cackle before Demolisher tackled him to the ground.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" he demanded, shaking the younger mech wildly.

"Wow, Dee," Cyclonus laughed before poking his nose, "you've really gone soft with Oriona as a boss."

Demolisher let out a squawk of rage before punching the other mech in the head. "Shut up!"

Cyclonus laughed before wiggling out from under Demolisher, hopping to his feet quickly. He barely had time to take three steps forward before Oriona grabbed him and hugged him tightly. He squawked and flailed for a moment, gawking at her in surprise before smiling and hugging her back; surprisingly, the mech absolutely adored hugs. Side Swipe leapt forward and threw himself onto Cyclonus' back, hugging him in spite of the awkward position before Cyclonus started to flail his arms about.

They separated before Demolisher rushed over and wrapped his arm around Cyclonus' shoulder. The two mechs laughed as they gave each other customary Decepticon greetings; seeing who could hit the other the hardest. It was short lived as Galvatron loomed over top of them, growling angrily and making them yip in fear. He grabbed Cyclonus by the scruff and hoisted him off the ground, demanding to know if there was a CPU in his head. He shook him several times, shouting similar phrases demanding to know the range of his stupidity, before Oriona stepped forward and made him lower his arm and release the poor mech.

Cyclonus stumbled away before spinning his rotor around, blinking innocently up at Galvatron as he stood there fuming. Side Swipe hopped over to Galvatron before leaning on his arm, blinking curiously up at him before his father chuckled and rubbed his head. The small blue mech let out a content purr before closing his optics, earning a mocking "awww" from Cyclonus.

They all laughed before a siren went off from within the base, drawing everyone's attention. Starscream came charging out of the base with his cousin and Hot Shot right on his heels, all of them sharing the same murderous intention in their optics.

"Plains City is under attack!" Flamewar shouted before she gave Cyclonus' head a greeting pat. "We have to get over there now!"

Galvatron gave the order for Inferno to open the space bridge before the land bound soldiers transformed. They had enough time to rev their engines before they drove through the space bridge, Ironhide and Kicker bringing up the rear since they were the last to hear the order. They landed in Plains City quick enough to get attacked by Terrorcons the minute their feet hit the ground.

Galvatron pressed Oriona against a wall as he fired into the swarm, ordering Hot Shot and Demolisher to make a break for the command center. They had to know how many of their mechs were left alive. Hot Shot and Demolisher nodded before charging forward, the three Seekers providing coverfire from above to give them a clear shot to the doors.

"Look out!" Side Swipe shouted before Galvatron was bowled over by a huge green scorpion.

It hissed before scuttling backwards, purple energon stinger poised for Galvatron's chest. Oriona leapt forward and shot at it, hoping that it blew up as easily as the other Terrorcons. Instead, it scuttled backwards again before hissing and transforming, clicking its pincer hands as it aimed a set of cannons mounted on its tail at her. She ducked in time to avoid getting blasted before Ironhide tackled it from the side.

"Get off!" the scorpion screeched before kicking Ironhide off, swinging the stinger hanging over its head around to clip Ironhide's arm.

Oriona's optics widened for a moment before she leapt forward and started pummelling the other femme. "Hands off the youngling, you glitch!" she snarled.

The femme scorpion shrieked in reply before firing her own blows, sending them both rolling across the ground. They snarled and shrieked, landing blow after blow to each other, not even noticing that the others had ceased firing to just watch them. She could hear someone hollering at them to keep going before she landed a blow to the other femme's face plate. The femme shrieked before kicking her hard in the abdomen, sending her flying off of her and skidding along the ground.

"This isn't over, Pax!" the scorpion snarled before ordering the Terrorcons to fall back. "You haven't seen the last of Scorponok."

Oriona growled at her retreating back, wanting nothing more than to get a laser between her shoulders. Cyclonus was laughing hysterically somewhere over her head, claiming that nothing beats a pair of femmes fighting. That statement was quickly followed by a yelp as Flamewar smacked him across the back of the head. Ironhide and Side Swipe were milling around her, asking if she was alright. The most damage she had was a bruised midsection and shooed them off to go find Hot Shot and Demolisher and see if they needed any help.

"You sure took a pounding," Kicker commented as he stood by her foot. "You two were duking it out like heavy-weights."

"No one touches my sparklings and gets away with it," she replied evenly before she tried to stand up.

She wobbled precariously on her feet before Galvatron's arm wrapped around her waist and held her upright. She wanted nothing more than to collapse against his chest and be carried back to base, but she had to stay strong and put up with her taxed strength. She wasn't that hurt and she was supposed to be the leader; they never acted like weaklings when they did not suffer any serious injury. Starscream landed beside Galvatron and reported that all Terrorcons were destroyed and that very little energon had been stolen. Flamewar landed beside him and reported that all humans were alive and counted for, looking at Kicker before mentioning that there was a female inside that wanted to talk to him.

Kicker took off into the building to go meet up with his old friend as Hot Shot and Demolisher re-emerged. Side Swipe and Ironhide followed quickly, supporting injured soldiers between them and leading the ones that could walk out of the city. Galvatron ordered everyone back to base after a quick head count and all but shooting Cyclonus out of the air when he refused to sit still long enough to be checked for injuries. Kicker came running back out of the city after Ironhide radioed him and told him that they were leaving with or without him, shouting at him to wait up.

"Are you sure you don't need repairs?" Galvatron asked when they had reached the base. "That was one pit of a fight you were in."

"I'm fine," she reassured him, even though she was refusing to stand up from where she had collapsed on one of the window ledges. "There are those in worse conditions; they need the energon baths more than I do."

His hand stroked gently up and down her back, his gaze never leaving her no matter how many time she told him she was fine. There was no way to shake him off, not when he could see her frame shaking from the damage dealt to her. She tried to brush it off as just nerves, knowing that her injuries were superficial, but Galvatron refused to drop the subject. After a few minutes of arguing with her, he stood and scooped her up into his arms, earning a squeal of protest.

She hit his shoulders a few times in an attempt to get him to let her go, but he just kept walking towards the medbay as if nothing was happening. She wiggled pathetically while whining, knowing that no amount of compromising could get her out of the appointment. She heaved a sigh before crossing her arms over her chest, grumbling about mates that didn't listen.

"So, you finally dragged her in?" Starscream asked as he looked over from where he was fixing something on his arm. "'Bout time."

"Shut up, Screamer," she grumbled. "No one asked you."

Starscream smirked at her before going back to repairing his arm, pointing towards some simple medical equipment. He explained that it was the best they had besides the energon baths; considering they did not have a trained medic on base they had to make do with what they had. Galvatron set her down on a spare berth and kept a hand on her shoulder to make sure she didn't try to make a break for it. Starscream looked over at her before walking over as Galvatron got out the medical kit and started rummaging through it.

"Galvatron," he commented before looking at him, "I think she just needs to rest."

"You sure?" Galvatron asked before glancing down at her.

Starscream nodded before pressing a hand to her forehead, ignoring her glare. He explained that she was a little shaken up, but apart from that nothing of serious injury. He advised him to take her back to their quarters and let her rest; no interfacing what-so-ever. Galvatron let out a mock sigh of sadness before picking her up, claiming that the doctor's orders ruined his plans for the night. She groaned before punching his chest, only getting a small laugh in return.

She sighed before snuggling closer as he headed down the hallway, stopping only momentarily to get a status report from Inferno about the conditions of the other mechs. She barely heard the report through the soft whirling of her mate's spark, letting the rhythm carry her into a state of peace. She was vaguely aware of his motion as he continued walking, her optics already drifting offline before she felt the familiar comfort of their recharge berth. She stretched out on the familiar surface before curling up again, murmuring quietly as she felt her mate's leg against her back. She rolled over and snuggled against his leg, smiling tiredly up at him, realizing just how exhausted she was at that moment.

There was a soft knock on the door the minute she was comfortable and she grumbled slightly as Galvatron stood up to answer it. She stayed where she was, her audios barely online enough to catch the soft murmur of voices at the door. She jumped in surprise when she felt a body press against her front, onlining her optics, and blinking down at Side Swipe as he snuggled against her. She tilted her head slightly before smiling and wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"What brought this on?" she asked around a yawn.

"I just need some comfort," he replied softly before hiding his face in her collar. "Ironhide's been acting weird since we got back and he doesn't want me around."

Galvatron rubbed his son's head as he crawled in on the other side of the berth and wrapped his arm around her waist. "He's had a rough day; he'll be fine after a good night's recharge," he stated gently. "Besides, if you're sleeping in here, I can just predict him coming in here to snuggle. And that means I get kicked out for monitor duty." He was silent for a moment before poking Side Swipe's nose as he poked his head out of her shoulder. "I see your plan now, you sneaking little Con."

Side Swipe blinked his optics adorably before snuggling back into her chest. She laughed softly at their actions before resting her head on her son's back again, nuzzling him reassuringly before letting herself slip off into recharge.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Scorponok sighed as she listened to her leader rant about her failure. It wasn't exactly her fault, after all; Oriona Pax was absolutely insane in a fist fight. How was she supposed to know that she would freak out after she kicked that brat off of her? Her stomach was still in pain from the numerous blows she had received. That glitch was not the weakling her leader had made her out to seem.

"You are disappointing!" her leader shrieked. "We wasted energon bringing you back to life and you can't even collect enough to replenish us."

"I will collect more next time, Alpha Q," she promised simply, bowing at the waist. "I know my enemy now and I will not falter."

"No," Alpha Q hissed, switching faces to the ruder personality. "You will not. The next time you see that rookie, kill him."

She involuntarily flinched, wondering why she had done it. "Of course, my liege."

"Let that stand as a lesson to those Cybertronians!" her leader squealed, switching to the hyper face. "We will kill all who stand in our way!"

She nodded before turning and leaving the central chamber. Her spark gave an unfamiliar pang of remorse at the thought of the task set out for her. She tilted her head curiously as she walked along the dark corridor, wondering why she felt that way. She had only just met the youngling, yet there seemed to be some underlying confliction within her. She spotted the ghost and ignored him, knowing that interaction would lead to more punishment.

She glanced back when she heard the ghost give a soft snort. "So, another twist in the plan," he commented before heading for the central chamber.

She wondered what he was talking about as she headed for the chamber that housed her Terrorcons. What would he possibly mean by "another twist in the plan"? Did it have to do with her inability to collect energon or the conflicted emotions she had over killing Oriona Pax's sparkling?

**Author's note:** I like abusing Ironhide...why? He's my favourite character in _Energon_ besides Megatron, Snowcat, and Mirage...why do I like torturing him? Oh right! Because it's fun :D Can anyone guess what's up with Scorponok? And he becomes a she; the next victim of gender-bending! And what's with Demolisher for freaking out so much? Stick around to find out!


	4. Going Down

Chapter 4 Going Down

Oriona watched Ironhide closely, noticing every small twitch or out of place movement that he made. He had been acting funny ever since they first ran into Scorponok at Plains City. There was no damage done to him as far as any of them could tell but he was still acting weird, as if he had some sort of glitch in his systems. He wouldn't talk to any of his family and was even trying to shirk his guardian duties with Kicker. Only her constant reminder of how he acted as a youth kept Galvatron from beating the ever-loving slag out of him.

"Mom," Ironhide murmured as she sat beside him in the command center, making sure he stayed put for his monitor duty punishment. She gave a soft grunt to show she was listening, her optics offline as she relaxed against the keyboard. "What...what did you feel when...when you first met Dad?"

She onlined an optic and looked at him curiously. He looked confused and lost, almost as if the answer kept eluding him no matter how hard he concentrated. She tilted her head to the side before mulling the question over. What did she feel when she first met Galvatron?

"Terrified," she replied before smirking. "And slightly awed."

"You were scared of him?" Ironhide asked in surprise.

She nodded with a soft laugh. "I was brought up in upscale Iacon, Ironhide; I'd never met a mech quite like him before," she explained before smiling at the memory. "He was still taller than I was; he was bigger than any youngling our age, as a matter of fact, and so clumsy that he almost tripped over his feet every few steps."

Ironhide grinned weakly before pointing to himself. "Kinda like me?" he asked.

She laughed before nodding, glancing past his head as the memories resurfaced. Galvatron back then when he was green and purple, had his horns weighing his head down and his body had been far too big for him to handle at such a young age. She had been so tiny at the time, her yellow optics bigger than the rest of her face; any holo-picture taken of her at the time was living proof of that. She had felt a need to be around him, but he wouldn't even acknowledge her presence for the first month of school until Scavenger had made them run laps to see where they fell in regards of physical endurance.

She had been one of the first ones to finish all the laps, her chest rising and falling slightly as she stood and beamed up at Scavenger as he nodded his approval. She had turned back to watch the others, cheering Wingdagger on as she started on her last lap; Wingdagger didn't like running even though she was fast. She was wondering why the others were taking so long; she was smaller than them but they were all the same size body-wise so they should have been as speedy as she was; and perplexed when they crossed the finish line panting. She remembered asking Scavenger why the others weren't as fast as she was and he had explained that they were simply lazy, pampered brats; or at least the ones in the white uniforms were.

Galvatron had still been running laps long after the others had finished. He was stumbling along, each step sending him staggering forward even though he didn't even look tired. Many of the other white uniformed students were snickering behind their hands, pointing at him like he was the biggest joke known to the universe, until he tripped and crashed onto the ground. They had broken out into loud rude laughter, pointing at him as he wiggled slightly in an attempt to get up. She glared at the other students before running over to him and asking him if he was alright. She had received a grunt in response before she offered her hand to help him up. The look he had given her was probably supposed to be full of loath, but instead it was surprised. She had smiled and asked if he wanted her to run his remaining laps with him, just so he wouldn't be all alone.

He had accepted her hand and offer, setting off again at a slower pace, limping slightly from barking his shin. She had kept pace with him, smiling and encouraging him on even though he shot her a few glares every now and again for her comments. When they had finished, some of the other white uniformed students had sneered at him for being out of shape and lazy. He had clenched his fists and his red optics had narrowed but he didn't have time to retort before she sneered that at least he had the endurance to keep going after the fall; none of them had been able to walk two paces before falling on their faces and whining. Scavenger had agreed with her before taking Galvatron aside to talk to him privately. His optics had narrowed and his stance had gone rigid before Scavenger clapped his shoulder and whispered something that made his optics fly open and his mouth twist into a smile.

She snapped back to reality as Ironhide waved his hand in front of her face, calling her name multiple times. She looked at him and found him smirking before he turned back to the monitors, tilting his head to the side. She apologized for spacing out before the alarm went off, signalling an attack on the city. She ordered him to stay here and monitor the activity outside with Inferno, who had just charged in. His optics narrowed but their bond told her that he was accepting his duty since he was still technically serving his punishment.

She rushed outside just as the first wave of Terrorcons swooped in, only to watch as Starscream, Flamewar, and Cyclonus easily dispatched them. They circled around to make sure none had slipped past before waiting for the next wave. Galvatron was standing at the front of the group of soldiers, telling them were to keep the enemy pushed back to so that the Seekers weren't left out. This earned a few chuckles, relaxing the new fighters enough that they wouldn't be too uptight by the time the next wave came.

She stayed near the back, acting as back up for the front line soldiers. She shot the few that slipped past them, her optics roaming the sky for Scorponok. The Terrorcons were not the problem; their commander was. She was the one that could tear the front line apart in a matter of moments, not these stupid drones. Galvatron was planning on putting her in her place before locking her up in the brig in multiple pieces; she wasn't sure if he was being serious or not but she wouldn't put it past him.

She heard Galvatron let out a snarl before Scorponok dropped out of the sky in front of him, her tail poised to strike. He let out a snarl before shooting at her, his shots grazing her armor as she darted out of the way. She was faster than he was, but she couldn't over-power him; it was the only strength she had against him. Oriona darted forward to help keep the Terrorcons at bay, only succeeding in keeping half of them back.

She radioed Hot Shot to let him know that the Terrorcons had broken through the front line and were heading for the energon mines. He was in charge of the forces underground with Demolisher. They were both powerful enough to hold them off until they could corral Scorponok. She ordered the front line soldiers to keep firing as she darted forward to help Galvatron as he was unable to get the femme to hold still. She fired once and knocked Scorponok onto her back, earning a shriek of anger as she flailed her legs uselessly.

"I can handle this," Galvatron growled as he backed up to stand in front of her, shooting a Terrorcon out of the air.

"Yeah, that's why you kept missing," she shot back before kicking a cat Terrorcon over to the line of soldiers to shoot.

"Don't even start," he snapped, glaring at her before ducking as Scorponok fired at them. "Get down!"

She shuffled closer to him for a moment before ducking again, yipping as the laser scorched past her audio. She ordered the front line to fall back to protect the city, knowing that any Terrorcon left would be underground fighting with Hot Shot's group. Galvatron told her to go with them and she smacked him before dragging his head down to avoid another laser shot. She demanded to know if he had gotten hit in the head because there was no way in the Matrix or the Pit she was abandoning him.

He pushed her out of the way as a laser ripped into the ground, firing his gun once. It hit Scorponok in the midsection and sent her tumbling backwards over the railing of the bridge connecting the city to the mainland. Galvatron yelled at Starscream to keep her occupied before he grabbed Oriona's arm and dragged her towards the doors. She stumbled after him before taking off, out-distancing him quickly enough to make up for the fact that she had refused to leave him.

They headed down into the mine, crunching the broken shells of dead Terrorcons along the way. They barrelled down the last hallway before ducking as a cat Terrorcon was sent flying over their heads. They hailed Hot Shot over the com link to make sure they didn't get shot by mistake before taking the last corner and leaping into the middle of the fry.

More Terrorcons had slipped by them than she had originally thought. They just kept coming until she was sure they were going to overwhelm them. Through the chaos, she spotted Kicker, who was not suppose to be there, heading into the excavation tunnel to give chase to the Terrorcons that had slipped in.

"Galvatron," she hissed before she grabbed his arm, "come on!"

"What?" he demanded.

"We have to get Kicker out of there!" she sighed in exasperation.

"Why?" he growled before shooting another Terrorcon.

"Because he's going to get himself killed," she growled.

"So?" he snapped back before glaring at her. "If he wants to get himself killed, let him; one less human I have to worry about stepping on."

She smacked him over the head before grabbing his arm. "Then come protect me," she snapped. "Primus, what flew up your tailpipe today?"

"I can tell you what didn't," he replied before leaning down to nip her neck. "I'll come to protect your aft."

She shook her head before sliding down into the tunnel, calling for Kicker. She found him surrounded by Terrorcons, his shouting the only thing stopping them from lunging. She leapt forward and kicked a few of them aside, shooting the last few that had him pinned. She crouched down beside him and pushed him behind her foot, looking over at Galvatron as he scanned the area.

"Kicker," she growled, "you had better have a good reason for being here."

"I got bored," he snapped. "And I hate being out of the battle when you guys are risking your necks for my home."

"I gave you an order, Kicker," she snapped before she heard Galvatron let out a wild snarl. "Hold on, we've got company!"

She looked up as one of the Terrorcons fired into the room. She ducked down to cover Kicker and heard Galvatron hiss in pain. She looked up in surprise before sighing in relief; the laser had merely skinned his arm, peeling the armor back enough for a small trickle of energon to flow down. He flashed her a smirk before his optics widened in shock as the Terrorcons leapt on him. She let out a cry of shock before she felt her fuel lines freeze in horror.

Galvatron was thrashing under the Terrorcons, roaring as the clawed at him, making the trickle of energon widen. The drones let out cries of delight before they bit down into his armor and _started eating him_. She screamed in horror before leaping forward, knocking a few off of her mate in desperation. She felt the claws tear at her arm and warm energon spilled from the cuts onto the ground, making their attention turn to her instead. She cried out in shock before throwing them at a mound of energon sitting off to one side, stumbling as another one slammed into her from behind.

Galvatron sat up slowly, energon dripping freely from several gouges taken from his armor. His optics were misted over in pain and his movements were jerky and unpredictable. He looked at the energon piles for a moment before standing up and taking a few steps forward.

"Oriona," Galvatron gurgled before his gun rotated to the pile where the Terrorcons were now gorging themselves, "get Kicker and yourself out...now."

"Galvatron," she whispered, wondering what he was talking about before realization hit her. "No!"

"Go!" he ordered before turning his back on her. "Get out of here!"

"I won't leave you!" she snarled. "This is stupid! Galvatron, come with me!"

For all his injuries, she had never seen him spin around so fast in his life. He snarled before snapping forward and grabbing her around the middle, yelling at Kicker to get a move on. For one moment she thought he was going to listen to her and bolt out of the room, but that dream shattered on itself. He flung her out of the tunnel, sending her skidding along the ground fast enough to sand the paint off of her armor. She rolled back to her feet and made to bolt back into the tunnel, only to hit the ground and cover her head as a huge tongue of flame reached up to greet her seconds after an explosion rocked the ground.

She stared into the flames in disbelief before letting out a cry, leaping to her feet. She felt arms wrap around her waist and hold her back as another explosion rocked the foundation. She cried out and struggled against the grip that held her, screaming Galvatron's name over and over again. Her spark was screaming in pain, her mate's pain dulled slightly by the block he had thrown up a moment before the explosion. She wiggled enough to sink her dental band into the green arm that was holding her captive, not even bothering to see who had held her when she heard a loud bellow of pain.

She raced into the tunnel, not caring about the flames that were licking at her frame. Her optics searched through the brilliant blue flames in search of her mate, begging silently that he was alright. She saw several drone bodies roasting in the heart of the fire, the energon around them melting them to the floor. She felt her breath catch in her throat before she coughed repeatedly, screaming her mate's name.

"GALVATRON!" she screamed before she heard something shift nearby.

She stumbled forward before collapsing against her mate's body, staring at the melted armor with sickened horror. His protoform armor was exposed to the heat of the flames, the delicate and sensitive metal singeing from its beautiful purple to dark, ugly black. His optics were cracked and energon was pooling underneath him, boiling and steaming in the heat. She let out a sob before wrapping her arms around his chest and hauling him off the floor.

His armor let out a disgusting squealing noise before ripping off of his frame. She let out a gag as more energon flowed out of him. She held him to her as she tried to stand up, her body overheating in the stifling, oppressive temperature of the tunnel. She looked around, trying to find the way out through the sizzling air.

"Stay with me," she begged, sinking to her knees as her body started to shut down. "Don't leave."

"Ori...ona," he whispered, the energon bubbling out more before his claws tightened around her hip. "I...told you...to leave."

She held him to her chest and looked down at him, her optics starting to turn staticky. "I'm not leaving you," she whispered before her vision wavered. "I'm not...leaving...you."

"ORIONA!" she heard someone shout her name before the heat started to lessen. "ORIONA!"

"OVER HERE!" she heard another voice bellow before a set of arms wrapped around her shoulders. "Slaggit! Get an emergency pod prepped for Cybertron! Galvatron needs medical attention now!"

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders before her arms were torn off of Galvatron. She cried out and struggled weakly, whimpering her mate's name before she was lifted into the air. A set of lips were pressed to her forehead before she was suddenly in cleaner air. Her head was spinning and she kept asking to know what happened to Galvatron.

"He needs serious medical attention," her captor stated gently, petting her helm gently. "We're going to Cybertron, but you need to calm down. You're intakes are full of smoke."

She let out a weak noise before resting her head against the mech's chest. Her head hurt and her body was being torn apart by the mixed pain that she was picking up off of Galvatron. That made her feel a little better; as long as she felt his pain it meant he was still alive. She let out a shaky breath before falling into unconsciousness.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"How's she faring?"

"Better than Galvatron."

"That's not funny."

"I'm not joking; she'll come around soon. Galvatron's on spark support."

"Isn't there something you can do for him?"

"No; we've done all we can. It's up to him now."

Oriona's optics flickered online and she squinted in pain as the overhead lights bore down into them. She could feel pain pulsating around her frame, but a quick scan told her that she was in perfect condition. She let out a soft groan as she started to sit up, only to feel a set of hands pressing on her shoulders.

"Lie down," Ratchet ordered, his voice as stern as ever. "You might be healed, but you're still weak."

"Galvatron," she whispered.

"He's still online," he stated before he sighed. "Just get some more rest, Pax."

"I...I have to...see...Galvatron," she argued, struggling weakly. "My fault...he's hurt."

Ratchet's blue optics darkened before he shoved her down onto the berth and told her that if she moved an inch he would strap her down. She reluctantly obeyed, powering down her optics enough to satisfy him. She heard Quickstart whisper something to her brother before resting a cool cloth against her forehead. She murmured that Galvatron was still in rough shape, but if she was well enough when she woke up again she could see him.

She smiled weakly before thanking her old friend. She let her body slip into recharge even as her mind continued to ponder about what was bothering the two medics. Come to think of it, where was Red Alert this whole time? She knew she had heard his voice; he had been the one to say that Galvatron was on spark support. How bad was his condition?

She fell back into recharge before she could divulge deeper into her question.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

When she woke up again, the medbay lights were dimmed. Quickstart was standing nearby cleaning some of her medical equipment with an energon covered rag. She cleared her throat and the orange medic jumped slightly before turning to look at her.

"You're up," she deadpanned before sighing and shaking her head. "Alright, you can see Galvatron, but I'll warn you, it isn't pretty."

She sat up slowly as her old friend walked over to her, wrapping her arm around the small of her back to support her. She nodded her head in thanks before standing up and letting Quickstart steer her towards a curtained off section of the medbay. She could hear a steady beeping from a spark-rate monitor and felt her throat tighten in fear before she was escorted around the curtain.

She let out an involuntary cry as she took in Galvatron beaten form. Most of his armor had been stripped away, leaving charred and melted armor behind that had stuck to his protoform. His body was covered with a huge cloth, protecting his body from any additionally injury since the protective coating on his protoform had been burned away. His purple paintjob, what was left of it, was now an ugly black, the metal far too sensitive to handle a new coating of paint. He had numerous IVs and wires poking into his arms, energon and other essential fluids pumping into him while a spark support system kept his spark from dying.

She stumbled slightly before forcing her legs to stay steady. She walked over to the berth and crawled in beside him, not caring if she wasn't supposed to. She hid her face in her mate's shoulder, sobbing softly as she felt him twitch on nerve impulse beneath her fingers.

"This is all my fault," she whispered before kissing his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

She twisted her face into her mate's chest and sobbed uncontrollably. She didn't know if he was going to pull through and if he didn't she'd be the one to blame. She had made him come with her to save Kicker; it was because of her that he had been attacked. It was going to be her fault if he died; how could she go on living knowing that she got her mate killed?


	5. Silent Assassin

Before I begin the next chapter, I would like to thank _madisonxhougen_ for giving me the inspiration for Galvatron's accident in the last chapter. She has been a real doll and an avid fan of the _It Takes a Girl_ trilogy since she started reading. Many a thanks for her enthusiasm and her fanart of the story. Thanks again! Also, SLASH WARNING FOR LATER ON IN THE CHAPTER! Don't say I didn't warn you, non-slash fans.

Chapter 5 Silent Assassin

His optics flickered online and he looked around curiously. Where was he? It looked like some disgusting half-organic half-mechanical monstrosity that made his fuel tank clench. He shivered before turning to look at the being in front of him.

"So you are awake now," the being commented, "excellent."

He shook his head before glaring at him. "Who are you and where am I?" he demanded.

"You will find out soon enough," the being told him. "For now, know that I am Alpha-Quintessen and you work for me."

He growled before bringing his fist back, ready to knock the being senseless. He caught sight of his fist and gasped in horror, leaping backwards in surprise. His hand was completely see-through, almost like a ghost, yet he could feel his spark whirling in his chest.

"You see we did not have enough energon to bring you fully back online," Alpha-Q stated. "We would have, but Galvatron is hording it."

"Galvatron?" he demanded, snapping his head up to stare at the weird creature in front of him. "What does he have anything to do with this?"

"He is hording all the energon," the being stated with a grin in its voice. "He is refusing to share it with us. If he had not interfered, we could have brought you back to life properly."

"Galvatron," he growled, clenching his fists. "What do you want me to do with him?"

"Kill him," Alpha-Q replied with a wild cackle. "He is currently on Cybertron in the medical bay of the Autobot headquarters. Make sure that no one sees you."

"Won't be hard," he laughed darkly before turning away. "I'm already see-through."

ASDFGHKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Oriona ran her hand over Galvatron's arm, smiling sadly as she stared down at his resting form. His spark was surviving with the spark support system now, so he had one less mound of wires plugged into him. His armor was still missing, but his protoform had a protective coating on it now, leaving it a plain silver rather than its normal light purple, but it was better than nothing. His energon levels were hovering constantly near fifty percent; any higher and he would go into shock.

She sighed before resting her head against his forehead. "Oh Galvatron," she whispered, "where are you hiding?"

She felt a weak response in her spark and she smiled. Galvatron was lost somewhere in his mind, but his spark could still contact her. She had told Quickstart and Ratchet that she could still feel him and Ratchet and smiled before commenting that he might still have a chance of coming back. She wasn't healed enough herself to head back to Earth to take over her duties again so she had plenty of time to try to bring Galvatron out of his mental prison.

She lifted her head as Ultra Magnus stuck his head around the curtain and grimaced at the sight of her mate. "Hot Shot's wants to talk to you about Kicker's official punishment," he stated, keeping his optics away from Galvatron's prone frame.

She sighed before standing up. "May as well finalize it," she replied before nodding. "Lead the way, cousin."

"He'll be fine in your absence," Ultra Magnus teased before turning and leaving the room.

She shook her head at his comment before following him out of the room. She had a fleeting feeling of walking through ice cold water before she stepped out of the doorway. She glanced back and blinked in confusion. She could have sworn she saw something shimmering in the medbay before the doors closed behind her.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

He couldn't believe how easy it was to sneak in. They had dropped the defences so much around the base that it sickened him. Weren't they afraid of intruders? Did they really think that nothing would try to attack them? Fools!

He could feel Galvatron's energy signature much clearer now and grinned to himself. Soon, very, very soon, he would have his revenge. He easily navigated his way over to the curtained off section of the medbay, wondering just how much Oriona would suffer with Galvatron gone. He snorted before smirking; who was he kidding? Galvatron had her under some sort of mind control that made her think she loved him.

He drifted through the screen and smirked down at Galvatron's despicable form. Oh, how the mighty had fallen; to think that he was lying there without any form of protection, just begging someone to come along and end him. He was disgusted that no other Autobot had thought to kill him beforehand. Imagine how much trouble they could have saved if someone had the gears to do the assassination themselves.

He aimed his gun at the Decepticon leader's chest, knowing that the protoform metal would crumple like human aluminum under the blast. He wondered who would be blamed, suddenly wishing he had snagged Kup's gun when he had been sneaking in. How humorous it would have been to watch Kup get executed for the crime. It would serve him right for supporting Oriona and Galvatron getting back together, the traitor. He snorted before squeezing the trigger.

He gasped in surprise as Galvatron leapt to his feet, red optics bright with fury. How had he dodged that fast? How had he known that he was even getting shot at? His protoform armor gleamed in the light of the medbay, the silver paint making him look much different. Galvatron let out a deep snarl before lunging for him, almost making him laugh; did he actually think that he could harm the likes of him? He was little more than a ghost!

He let out a horrified gasp as Galvatron's fingers dug into his chest plate and threw him over the top of the curtain. He hit the ground and rolled a short distance, coughing slightly as he turned to watch the massive mech approach.

"I'm going to make you regret coming here," Galvatron snarled, baring his fangs as a small tendril of flame jumped across his fingertips.

"Bring it," he hissed in reply before climbing slowly to his feet. "I don't know how you saw me or grabbed me, but it won't happen again."

Galvatron let out a low chuckle before shaking his head, widening his stance enough for him to feel embarrassed; why wasn't his pelvis covered by a new set of armored platting? Mech, talk about making a mech uncomfortable. Come to think of it, where in the bloody Pit had Galvatron been hiding that thing?!

"You understand so little," Galvatron sneered before tilting his head. "Did your boss not fill you in on everything? How sad."

"Don't you dare talk down to me, you oversized slagger!" he snarled before lunging at him.

He watched the smirk grace the other mech's face before he felt something very hot scorch his chest. He flew backwards with a roar of pain, scraping his back against the ground as he skid along. He rolled weakly back to his feet, wondering how in the universe Galvatron kept managing to hit him. He looked over at the mech and gawked at the sight of his arms engulfed in flames.

He gasped in shock before Galvatron winked at him. "I'm more than meets the optic," he laughed before raising his arms.

He barely had time to react before Galvatron fired two huge pillars of flame at him. He screamed and flailed uselessly as his body was engulfed in the fire, making his barely existing body flair in agony. He hit the ground and rolled over to avoid the flames, crawling towards the door in an attempt to get away. He yelped in pain as Galvatron's foot connected squarely with his aft and sent him flying out of the medbay. He crashed into the wall and looked over his shoulder in surprise. He half expected Galvatron to come after him, but when he saw no one bursting out after him, he scrambled to his feet and took off as fast as he could.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFHKL;'

"You failed?!" Alpha-Q screamed. "How?!"

"Galvatron...moved!"

Thrust lifted his head up to glance at the wispy figure kneeling in front of the disgusting mech. Galvatron moved? But he was in critical condition, wasn't he? Sideways had stiffened beside him, his horns perking up slightly, before his hand reached out to caress Thrust's helm. He let out a curious click before Sideways pulled him up onto his lap, making sure not to strain his legs as the darkness sucked them back.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly so that Alpha-Q and Scorponok would not hear him.

Sideways didn't answer right away, his attention on the cowering figure in front of the disfigured mech. His horns twitched occasionally and Thrust smirked behind his facemask before reaching up to play with the end. Sideways shook his head to dislodge his fingers, reaching up to pin his hands down while shooting him a playful glare.

"Answer me," he whined gently before reaching up to nuzzle his face into Sideways' chest.

Sideways' hand caressed his cheek gently before he looped his leg through Thrust's. "What that fool is saying makes sense," he replied.

"Really?"

"Yes," he murmured before removing his facemask and planting a kiss on Thrust's neck. "Unicron wanted to absorb both Oriona Pax and Galvatron for a reason. I wasn't sure what the reason was for at the time, but now I do."

"And why is that?" Thrust asked before arching into his lover's touch as his hand slid down his chassis.

"They have a power we could not hope to grasp," he replied cryptically before smirking and nipping his facemask playfully. "Or at least, you can't yet. You still have much training to complete."

Thrust let out a soft gasp before he found himself on his back, one arm pinned up by his head as Sideways straddled his waist. He felt a blush heat up his face before Sideways leaned over him and took his facemask off, subspacing it with a soft chuckle before leaning down and kissing him. His free hand wrapped around Sideways' neck as he tried to pull him down on top of him, his trapped hand struggling vainly to break free.

Sideways purred softly before kissing him more, his glossa slipping past his parted lips to enter his mouth. His trapped legs struggled to wrap around his lover's waist, only managing to get his knees up onto Sideways' hips, whining slightly at his pathetic predicament. Sideways' smiled gently before nuzzling him, sliding backwards so that he was sitting in a dominant position but not letting his hand free.

"What's the magic words, darling?" he purred.

"Please?" Thrust whined before he felt Sideways' other hand tracing the front of his pelvic plating. "Please, Sideways?!"

Sideways chuckled before leaning over to run his glossa over his chassis, making him squirm and wiggle while emitting soft mews. His free hand reached up to play with Sideways' horns, rubbing the ends delicately to make the dominant mech moan happily.

"HEY!" they both looked over at where the wispy mech was standing with a disgusted look in his optics. "Get a room you two!"

"We do have one," Sideways sneered. "You just happen to be in it."

"Get another one!"

"I can't move, afthole!" Thrust snapped before growling. "Now do you mind? You're killing the mood!"

The mech looked ready to say something else, but Scorponok looked over and smirked. "Oh, let the gay boys have their fun," she teased before walking over and tracing a claw under the mech's chin to make him jump away in disgust. "Besides, you let them have their fun and they're quiet for a week straight."

"Are not!" Thrust whined before smirking, his pink optics flashing. "We do it the whole week!"

The mech then turned and ran screaming from the antechamber, followed by all three of their laughing. Scorponok looked at them and smirked before telling them that they owed her one. She gave a brief shudder before Alpha-Q called to her, earning a strained expression before she shivered in disgust. Thrust gave her a sympathetic look as she turned and followed the mech into his personal quarters; she was more than just a general in Alpha-Q's army. She was also his unfortunate bedmate; where the slag that disfigured kept a tube was beyond his comprehension.

"Ignore him," Sideways hissed before he removed both of their pelvic plating and let his wires wrap around Thrust, finding a choice few wires that had attachments that accepted his plugs. "He'll get his punishment soon enough."

Thrust let out a soft moan of pleasure as electricity coursed through him. "How much do you know?" he gasped out.

"More than you can imagine," the cycle-mech replied.

"Is that why you won't bond with me?" Thrust whimpered sadly.

Sideways looked down at him and sent a huge pulse of pleasure into him that made him gasp in surprise. "Thrust, I'm also dead; my spark is kinda none existent," he scolded him before smiling and kissing him passionately. "But yes; this information would overwhelm you."

"Training?" Thrust laughed before connecting his wires to a few of Sideways', sending his own surge of pleasure into his lover.

Sideways nodded as he arched his back and purred. "Much more, darling."

Thrust sighed before Sideways' leant over him and kissed him again. They moaned into each other mouths as they continued to interface, ignoring the ghost mech as he entered, threw a fit, and left again. He was just jealous that he was the only mech in the place that wasn't getting any during the night. However, the loud roars from the Terrorcons seemed to give another idea when it was followed by his horrified screaming.

"Ah, sweet revenge," Thrust snickered before kissing Sideways again.

**Author's note:** Yeah, all my non-slash fans are going to kill me upon reading the last part XD sorry all non-slash fans! Can anyone figure out what's so special about Galvatron and Oriona? Any guesses? Any at all? Also, this was probably just a filler chapter to show the introduction to the failed assassin. Everyone knows who he is...and he probably got attacked by the Terrorcons and made into a "kitty-toy" XD Also, Scorponok is forced to keep Alpha-Q company at night...where do these twisted ideas keep coming from?!


	6. Upgraded

Chapter 6 Upgraded

"So you have no idea what happened?" Oriona asked, glancing around at the scorched walls of the medbay.

"Not a fragging clue!" Ratchet growled as he pulled the burnt remains of a berth apart. "I leave to go check on something and I come back to find _this_!"

In the span of ten minutes, the ten minutes she had walked out of the room, the medbay had suffered an attack. The security cameras had, conveniently, stopped working in that span of time so they had no way of knowing what happened. The only evidence they had was that everything near the doors had been torched by something with an extremely high temperature flame. Galvatron had been unharmed, luckily, so her spark could whirl easier with that information filed away.

On top of that, Galvatron was starting to make a full comeback. His vitals were stronger than they had been when she left and she was feeling much less pain over the bond. Given another week, he would probably be back in working condition and two weeks from now he would be back to his usual position on the front lines. Unfortunately, she had to head back to Earth to take care of the business there. Ironhide and Side Swipe had come to "escort" her back but she was sure that they had come to see how their father was fairing. Two weeks without information had not left their nerves in the best condition.

She sighed before telling Ratchet that she'd send some help down to clean the mess up. She called Ultra Magnus over the com link and asked his to send any free mech down to help Ratchet clean up the medbay. Ironhide shifted from one foot to another as he glanced around, his gaze lingering to the screen that hid Galvatron from view.

"We should get going," Side Swipe piped up. "We aren't much help just standing around."

Oriona nodded before turning and leaving the room, only to find Ratchet following them. He grumbled that he was going to pick who was coming to help him; he did not want any of the new soldiers in his medbay. Apparently they had no respect for anything, according to him anyways. She chuckled softly before agreeing, shooting her sons a smirk as they let out shouts of indignity.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

The pain was lessening now, he was thankful for that. His body was actually starting to feel much better now after he temporarily blacked out. He could hear everything that was being said around him but he couldn't interact with anyone, not even Oriona. His spark was stronger now so he could send simple feelings to her to tell the others, but he couldn't form words yet. It was like being trapped in a prison he couldn't escape from. He shivered internally before trying to send signals to his hand to clench.

As usual, nothing happened. The urge to snarl had never been so high before, but now that he couldn't it was made ten times more desirable. His body never felt so heavy before and it didn't help that Oriona was planning on leaving now. Not by choice, naturally, but it still struck him in the spark that she had to leave before he had recovered. He wanted to vent a sigh in frustration before he heard someone calling him. He felt himself twitch before he tumbled backwards into the void of his mind.

"Welcome, Galvatron," Primus' voice called gently before he was suspended in midair. "You are doing much better now."

"Yes, Primus, I am," he replied before onlining his optics, only to see blinding light.

He blinked several times, raising his arm to shield him from the light. Primus chuckled softly before his beings ran along his body, making him shiver at the feel of it. It was not a provocative sensation or touch, but it made him feel good, much the same way a mother's touch was soothing to its youngling. He glanced around curiously, wondering where Primus was; he knew that their creator was currently acting as a spark at the center of their planet, so where was he now?

"All around you," Primus chuckled gently. "You are within my being, Galvatron, and have nothing to fear."

"I wouldn't fear you if such a thing existed," he replied with a smile. "You are our creator and would never harm us."

Primus chuckled again before his being flowed over his body again. "Oriona worries about you," he commented. "It pains me to see her in so much pain over your injuries. It pains me to see you in pain as well, Galvatron. That is why I'm going to give you an upgrade."

"An upgrade?" he asked curiously before tilting his head. "Why?"

"Your body is heavily injured, even with Ratchet, Quickstart, and Red Alert's amazing repairs; you will never be back to your previous abilities," Primus stated gently before his being glided over his armor again. "That is why I will give you an upgrade. But be warned, there will be something that you must give up in return."

Galvatron froze. "What will I have to give up?" he whispered.

"Nothing of too much value, I promise," Primus murmured before he felt a hand on his shoulder. "A memory or two, I will choose them myself. It will make the transition from this body to the next much easier."

He nodded before the gentle presence on his shoulder tightened. He felt something plunge into the recesses of his mind before several images were projected onto the space around him. An image of Ironhide flashed for a moment before vanishing, making him stare in surprise before several other images of Ironhide disappeared as well. It seemed to have a chain reaction on any image that held Ironhide in them; each one vanishing until none remained except one that was not originally his. The image of Oriona as Optimus Prime holding two tiny sparklings in her arms as they slept remained. He blinked at the image before glancing at where the bright light was emanating.

"I will not take all your memories of him away," Primus stated softly. "I need just enough memories to make up for the new body. Also," the image of his current body vanished, "you will not need to know yourself as Galvatron anymore."

"Oriona will kill me," he chuckled. "She still has not told me where she found that pole she beat me with the last time I changed my name."

Primus let out a gentle laugh before his presence pushed closer to him, making the images all fade away. He had a sudden sensation of weightlessness before his body started to bulge around him. He let out a cry of shock, half-expecting it to hurt, but no pain processed in his CPU. Primus' presence pressed closer, as if to let him know that he was the reason that he had no pain, letting him feel the changes take place. His body bulged around him, making him look down at the changes taking place.

He couldn't actually see what was happening, however. Primus' light was hiding his body from him, but he could feel every inch reshaping itself. Something erupted out of his back with a shower of sparks and a few spurts of energon. He felt his horns quiver for a moment before they shattered, making his flinch in surprise. Primus let out a soft chuckle before his body stilled and the bulging stopped.

"You may wake up now," Primus stated. "Try not to do anything stupid."

Galvatron chuckled before the light around him intensified, making him lift his hands up against to block it. He offlined his optics and heard a soft thump before feeling rushed through him. First he felt relief, then pain, then nothing as he passed out again.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

He onlined his optics again and blinked several times at the dark ceiling of the medbay. Ratchet must have turned the lights off before leaving for the night. Or the lights had blown for some odd reason. He shook his head before sitting up, feeling the cloth that had been covering him fall to the ground. He looked around once before standing up, resting a hand on his head as it pounded painfully; where had this CPU-ache come from?

He stood up and staggered against the wall, groaning softly in pain. Slaggit all to the Pit! He growled before forcing himself to move, suddenly feeling..._different_. He felt a little lighter than normal, as if most of his personal modifications had been removed. The thought troubled him since those had been on his frame for as long as he could remember. He shook his head before leaving the medbay, limping down the hallway was his head continued to throb.

Where was Oriona? She was here, he could feel her nearby, but where was she? He was tempted to call for her, but a part of him told him not to. He shook his head again, pressing his palm to his forehead in an attempt to ward the ache off. Where was he now, anyways? He glanced around the walls, trying to figure out where in the base he was.

"Hey!" someone shouted behind him. "You! Stop! I order you to stop!"

He glanced at the mech and narrowed his optics. Something about him seemed oddly familiar, yet at the same time he didn't know who it was. He blinked before shaking his head, moving off the wall to stand in front of the boss little thing.

"Alright you," the mech growled, taking a step forward, "keep your hands where I can see 'em! You are trespassing and are under arrest!"

He smirked to himself as the little mech came closer, wondering just how dumb he was. He was within striking distance before he lunged forward, grabbing the mech's head in his fist, and slamming him into the wall. The mech gasped in pain, the guns on either side of his head whirling uselessly as he stepped in closer. He chuckled coldly before he started to apply pressure, watching the mech whimper and struggle uselessly, his fists pounding weakly on his chest.

"Where is Oriona?" he hissed.

"Like I'm gunna tell you," the mech snapped back, his voice quivering as his head continued to be crushed.

"If you value your life, you will," he growled in reply before grinning wickedly. "Unless, you think you're protecting her?"

The mech growled at him before a well-aimed punch landed on the underside of his jaw. He snapped his head to the side, letting out a soft yelp of pain before glaring down at the mech. He had sealed his fate.

"Release him, Galvatron!"

He snapped his head up quickly, blinking owlishly before he spotted the source of the voice. Oriona was standing at the head of a small group of soldiers, her yellow filled with worry that he couldn't quite understand. She moved forward quickly, signalling the soldiers behind her not to move, before she rested a hand his arm.

"Let him go, Galvatron," she repeated.

He wondered why she was calling him "Galvatron" but released the mech all the same. He slid down the wall with a soft whimper and Oriona fell down right beside him, fussing over him for some reason. He tilted his head curiously at her actions before she let out a sigh and stood up to look at him. Her optics were filled with barely contained anger and her whole frame seemed to vibrate with it. He had a vague feeling that he should be running away as fast as he could, but he didn't really have anything to fear from her, right?

"You had better have a good explanation for this, Galvatron," she growled.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "Did you hit your head? My name is _Megatron_, remember?"

She blinked at him for a moment before shaking her head as if to dislodge something. She muttered something about mechs before she launched herself onto his chest and hugged him tightly, making him chuckle and wrap his arms tightly around her back.

"I was so worried about you," she whispered before her face was nuzzling into his stomach. "When Primus told me he was going to save you by giving you an upgrade, I didn't know what to think."

"He told you about it?" he asked.

"Someone had to stop you from ripping the base apart to find me," she laughed before looking up at him, her optics looking at something at his side. "Although, I think I'm slightly worried now that you have wings."

Megatron paused, blinking several times. "I have wings?" he asked before looking to his side and gawking at them; they were bigger than any Seeker's wings he had seen in his life. "Son of a slagging glitch!"

Oriona laughed as she pulled away, placing her hand over her mouth as he reached to touch the huge appendages. He marvelled at them, wondering how on Cybertron Primus had been able to upgrade him from a ground-based mech into a Seeker; such things were nothing short of a miracle. He finally got a good look at his hands and almost yelped in shock; they were blue now and his claws were no more. Well that sucked; he happened to like his claws, even if his opponent didn't. Come to think of it, he felt _really _different now that he stopped to gauge his body.

He moved his hands in front of him, clenching and unclenching his fists in fascination. He armor had changed colours again, leaving him predominantly white with various blue patches along his arms, midsection; he had what the humans called a six-pack indented on his stomach; while the ends of his wings were green. He turned himself around, still staring at his wings in amazement before he noticed that his head felt a lot lighter than normal. He reached up, half-expecting to meet his horns, only to find air instead.

He yelped in surprise before waving his hand over his head. Where had his horns gone?! Oriona actually snickered before walking over and pulling his hand down to smack the side of his head. He blinked in surprise before coughing in embarrassment; his horns had shrunk. Well that was embarrassing, freaking out over nothing.

"That's Galvatron?" Side Swipe's voice piped up, dragging everyone's optics to him as he crouched beside the other mech. "But...why'd he attack Ironhide?"

"Ironhide?" Megatron parroted before glancing at Oriona. "Wasn't he killed early in the war?"

"Wrong one," she sighed before shaking her head. "At least I know which memory Primus took. But I don't get how the lack of that memory would help with anything."

He blinked at her curiously before an image of her holding two sparklings flew before his optics. His spark plummeted out of his chest; was this mech his _son_?! He stumbled backwards for a moment before Oriona settled a hand on his arm and smiled gently, her spark telling him that it wasn't his fault. He still felt horrible for attacking his son for no reason other than he thought he was standing between him and Oriona.

Oriona ordered everyone back to the command center, telling Ultra Magnus to have the space bridge open for them. They were going back to Earth. She ordered Kup to let Starscream and Hot Shot know of the changes to Megatron's appearance and name, smirking while claiming that she didn't need Flamewar tackling her mate and demanding an interface session. A shiver of disgust ran up his spinal unit before commenting that he wouldn't touch Flamewar that way with a fifty thousand foot pole.

Oriona looked at him with a gentle glare before she grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the space bridge dock. He chuckled before walking beside her, glancing back as Side Swipe and Ironhide followed, the latter's optics following him mistrustfully. He tried to look apologetic, but the young mech looked away the moment he realized that he had made optic contact. He looked at Oriona desperately, but her only response was a shake of her head. Great, so even she did not know what to do.

He sighed slightly until they were waiting for the space bridge to activate. He looked at Ironhide several times, but the youngling was stubbornly avoiding his gaze. He was tempted to grab the mech and demand to know why he was acting like that; it wasn't like he had known any better. It could have easily been any other mech that had gotten caught in his clutches.

Oriona shot him a look before she transformed, edging towards the open space bridge. "Don't hit anyone while you're figuring out how to fly," she teased before leading her sons into the space bridge.

"Don't even start," he chuckled before transforming, wobbling a little when the ground vanished from below him, making him shoot forward to avoid crashing.

Trainwreck incoming.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Oriona was surprised that she hadn't been ploughed off of the space bridge path by her mate. Considering it was his first time flying, he was doing an amazing job. He kept letting out startled yelps, surging forward a few feet before he was able to stabilize himself again, calling apologizes to the startled mechs in front of him. Ironhide demanded to know why he was even allowed to travel with them considering her couldn't even fly yet, and Side Swipe told him to drop it.

She wondered how long Ironhide would hold his grudge, not that she really blamed him. To learn that his father didn't have a clue who he was would be enough to anger anyone. She just hoped he got over it soon; Megatron did feel bad for attacking his own son, after all. She sighed softly before driving out of the space bridge, coasting for a moment along the bridge leading into Ocean city. All of the soldiers were there waiting for them, their optics on the space bridge; they wanted to see Megatron's new body. She smirked to herself before transforming and standing in front of the space bridge as Ironhide and Side Swipe landed next to her.

Megatron shot out behind them, wobbling slightly as he ceased to have the set path. He dipped to the lift before veering hard to the right, flying away from the city to try to get use to his new body. He dipped and rolled around in the sky, looking graceful in spite of the fact that he didn't have a clue what he was doing. Starscream and Flamewar were whispering to one another, their optics bright in surprise and delight. Oriona made the comment that they had better not put _any _ideas in her mate's head and received a snigger in reply.

"Come on, cousin," Flamewar laughed before taking to the sky and transforming. "We have to teach our leader how to fly properly!"

Starscream chuckled before following his cousin, each of them taking a spot on either side of Megatron. The giant Seeker wobbled again before both of them slid a wing under his, taking turns to tip so that he could feel the difference in each banking manoeuvre. Oriona could feel the vague reproach he felt for the two Seekers, not at all impressed with being babied in front of everyone else. The reproach faded away to exhilaration as he started to fly on his own. They looked like a well trained trine streaking across the night sky, flipping their wings towards the stars above them. Only another Seeker would have been able to tell the mistakes that Megatron was making; to everyone else, he looked like he had been flying his whole life.

Flamewar and Starscream headed back to the bridge while Megatron did a few manoeuvres on his own, his wings slicing through the air. His joy roared down the bond, the sensation of wind over his wings making her quiver in awe. Starscream landed beside her and smirked before ordering everyone back into the city, going so far as to shove Tidal Wave's leg as he stood still; he had been sent to the city the week prior to help defend it. The giant of a mech looked at Megatron for a moment before turning and walking into the city, slouching greatly in order to fit. Ironhide and Side Swipe looked at her curiously before they followed Flamewar in, glancing over their shoulder at her as she watched her mate fly around.

When everyone was gone, he banked towards her, the roar of his engines breaking through the stillness. She watched him approach, wondering what he was planning, before he pulled up suddenly. He transformed and landed on the edge of the bridge, smirking at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. She felt a small pang of misery at the sight of his new form, trying to piece the two images of her mate together, but not able to make the connection. He looked so different now, almost like she was staring at a new mech. He frowned for a moment, sensing her conflicted feelings through their bond, before he smiled gently and offered her his hand.

"Feel like going for a flight?" he asked.

"Can you even fly in robot mode?" she asked as she took his hand, letting him scoop her up against his chest.

"We'll see," he replied before kissing her cheek. "If I can't, we have miles of open ocean to catch us."

"Great," she grumbled before clinging to his front, "now I really trust you."

He laughed before taking to the air, his arms wrapping around her waist and back to secure her. He blasted straight up into the air, gaining altitude quickly, before he hovered in place. She gazed out at the wide expanse of water below them, her optics wide in fear as she cuddled closer to her mate. He nuzzled her neck gently, purring that he wouldn't drop her, before he tilted himself forward and spun around.

She squealed in surprise, clinging to him as they plummeted towards the ocean. She snapped her optics shut as she felt the air rush past them, only to peer out curiously as Megatron's joy rushed into her. His optics were alive with excitement as he pulled out of their steep dive mere inches above the water. They skimmed along the surface, so close that she could reach out and touch the water if she felt brave enough. She stared at it as it rushed by underneath them, feeling a laugh tugging at her lips before it rushed out of her. She laughed as she hugged her mate tightly, not really believing that they were flying.

Time seemed to slowly down for them, letting them streak back and forth across the surface of the water. They zoomed through the air, not letting the gravitational pull of the planet below stop them. But it seemed too soon that Megatron landed, finally exhausted. They were both still buzzing from the thrill of the flight, their optics bright as they snuggled together, Megatron holding her to his chest as he headed inside.

"That was amazing!" she breathed, snuggling against his cold chest plate.

"I know," he purred before spinning around, nuzzling her as he avoided crashing a wall. "I feel like I've been meant to fly from the time I was sparked!"

She laughed before cuddling closer, purring softly in delight as they made their way towards the room. With their spirits so high for the first time since he had been caught in the explosion that had pretty much killed him, it was no surprise that when they entered their quarters they had only a few seconds to lock the door and turn the sound-proofing system on before they were clawing at each other to get their armor off. They were kissing and grunting long before they reached their berth, and it was only when they reached it that Megatron's com link went off.

"I don't suppose you were in the middle of something?" Flamewar teased, earning a growl from both of them; although, Oriona's was a little muffled since her lower lip was being held hostage by Megatron's dental bands. "Opps, my bad."

"What do you want?" Megatron snapped, sitting up slightly to reach his com link.

"To let you know that Ironhide's throwing a slag-fit because his head hurts from you trying to crush it," she replied. "Can't you control your kid?"

"I'll deal with him in the morning," Oriona sighed before reaching up and turning his com link off. "I hate being interrupted."

Megatron grinned before dipping in and wrapping his glossa around a cable on her chassis. He purred hungrily before sliding his hands down her torso, his fingers dipping easily under the bundles of sensory wires. She let out a low moan before tipping her head backwards into the berth, her body responding to his touches with twitches and a steady throb of her spark. She caught a flash of predatory delight in his optics before his wires were hooking into hers, a deep, satisfied purr rumbling through his chest as he leant over her and captured her lips.

The rest of the night passed in a wave of passion, pleasure, and mind-numbing overloads. As she curled up against Megatron's hot body, she wondered if it was the new Seeker upgrade that was making him manage more than two interfaces. She'd have to ask Flamewar about that later, she mused as she licked his steaming chest affectionately. This could turn out to be a very interesting relationship now; not that it wasn't before, mind.

**Author's note:** And that's the next chapter. And Megatron gets a new body; I personally love his _Energon_ body because that was what made me start loving this guy ;p I came into the fandom in the middle of _Energon_ and nothing can make me change my mind about its awesomeness. Also, Megatron will eventually remember everything, he just has temporarily forgotten Ironhide, amongst a few other things, so that he can integrate better with the new circuitry.


	7. Another One Down

Chapter 7 Another One Down

First thing in the morning after Megatron's return, the newly reformatted mech ordered Quickstart and Red Alert to Earth. He wanted professional medics on base in case there was another accident where they needed emergency medical attention. Quickstart didn't complain about anything, nor did Red Alert, and quickly started setting up the medbay the moment they arrived. It was clear to see the two conflicting styles upon entering; Red Alert's half was meticulously organized while Quickstart had everything where it could be found with a quick glance. She had never been one for overly organized things.

Oriona had spoken to Ironhide and had told him to smarten up. No matter how much his ego had been bruised by Megatron's attack, it did not justify his present mood. He had hung his head and grumbled about behaving before shuffling off to look after Kicker. Side Swipe had followed him, promising to keep him in line before Hot Shot had walked in, ruffling his brother's helm as he passed.

"Where does he get that?" she sighed as she leant against the keyboard, looking at Hot Shot as he stood beside her to watch the monitors.

"Dad?" he replied with a shrug. "He's rather moody."

"Hot Shot," she chided gently before reaching out and cuffing his helm.

He smirked before looking back at the monitors, his expression turning stony as he took everything in. Things had been rough in the co-leaders' absence; they had lost more energon to Scorponok. They were struggling to make up for the loss while monitoring the other cities. The crazy Terrorcon general seemed to be focusing solely on draining Ocean City before moving on to the others; the other cities stationed around Earth had not been touched since the attack on Plains City.

She sighed and shook her head, hoping that they had a couple of days to fortify the city again before they were attacked. With Megatron still in training on how to fight in the air, they were at a disadvantage since Scorponok knew what she was doing. Speaking of knowing what they were doing, Demolisher and Cyclonus were late to reporting. Apparently the two of them had been shirking their duties for quite a few days now.

She looked up as said mechs came sliding into the room, panting and doubled over. They looked at each other sheepishly before standing up straight and saluting, barking out her name in spite of their shortness of breath. She looked both of them over and had to resist the urge to slam her face into her palm.

"Cyclonus, why is your pelvic plating on backwards?" she asked with a deep sigh.

Both mechs looked down and then looked at each other in surprise. Cyclonus tipped his head back and laughed loudly before replying that he didn't have any idea how it happened. Demolisher was avoiding her gaze and she did not want to ask what was going on anymore. The fact that the two of them came in together with Cyclonus' pelvic plating on backwards just spelled trouble. She sighed before ordering both mechs to their usual posts, shaking her head as Cyclonus scuttled into a corner to set his pelvic plating right.

She turned to Hot Shot as he let out a soft snicker, wondering just what part of the encounter he found humorous. She was about to ask him when she heard shouting in the hallway and turned towards the door. Megatron and Starscream tumbled into the room, roaring like a pair of bulls as they punched and kicked each other. Oriona squeaked in surprise as the two mechs rolled towards her, only to feel Demolisher's arm wrap around her waist and pull her out of the way before the pair smashed into the computer. She clung to the soldier's chest, her optics wide in surprise as her mate and his best friend fought.

Hot Shot was standing beside Cyclonus, shaking his head in disgust as his father rolled around on the ground with Starscream. Cyclonus, for his part, was cheering Megatron on and dancing on the spot like it was the best spectacle of the year. The pair rolled around for a few more minutes until Megatron tipped his head back and glared at Demolisher.

"Kindly remove your arm from around my mate's waist," he snapped.

"How about you two stop trying to run me over?" Oriona demanded in return, patting Demolisher's arm so he would let her go. "Honestly, every time you two get into one of your sparing matches I end up squashed under your bulk."

Megatron snorted as he stood up, growling once at Demolisher to make him step back. Oriona sighed before walking over and giving him a sharp jab in the stomach, smirking as he jerked back slightly with a soft grunt. She leant her head on his chest as Starscream stood back up and dusted his armor off, smirking at them before making a mocking kissing face. She rolled her optics at him before Cyclonus cleared his voice and asked if it was okay for him to leave.

Megatron snorted before telling him that he had better not do anything that would need his attention should they come under attack. Cyclonus nodded quickly before he and Demolisher left the room, making Hot Shot and Oriona lift an optic ridge questioningly. Megatron rubbed her shoulders before telling Hot Shot to radio them if he spots anything on the monitors, steering her towards the doors. She smirked at him before waving over her shoulder at her son, knowing that she was going to have to run to stop Megatron from doing what he was planning.

She waited until the door was closed before she took off down the hallway. He let out a sharp cry behind her before his heavy footsteps followed her, making her laugh in terror in spite of herself. She saw other mechs press themselves to the wall as she passed, ducking under Megatron's wings as he barrelled after her. Many just shook their heads at their antics, muttering about getting their second sparklinghood. She just thought they were entitled to being allowed to be a young couple again considering theirs had been stolen from them.

She turned another corner and gasped before she smashed into Tidal Wave's leg, stumbling backwards in pain. Spots blossomed in front of her optics before she heard Megatron let out a feral howl behind her. She yelped before hiding behind the massive mech's leg, pressing herself against his armor as Megatron went barrelling past. Both of them let out soft snickers as Megatron turned another corner and kept running.

"Thanks," she laughed before patting Tidal Wave's leg. "I needed that!"

"Anytime," Tidal Wave replied, closing his optics in a smile before she turned back the way she had come.

She managed to make it back to the Command Center before the alarm started blaring. She jumped before racing in, demanding to know what was happening. Hot Shot already had the security cameras focused on the large purple space bridge that had opened up over the city, showing the horde of Terrorcons heading for them. Starscream ordered into the intercom that everyone was to report to their battle stations immediately. She nodded her approval before telling Starscream to follow her, turning to race out of the room, only to collide with Demolisher's chest.

"Ow!" she yelped before falling into Starscream's arms. "We have to stop meeting like this."

"Tell me about it," Demolisher grumbled before backing up so that the three of them could get out of the command center. "Cyclonus is already outside shooting."

"Can't he ever wait for orders?" Starscream demanded as the rushed down the hallway, dragging stragglers along in their wake. "Honestly, he'll end up getting shot out of the sky!"

"Megatron was closer to the exit than I was when the alarm went," Oriona stated soothingly. "Cyclonus isn't the only one in the air. And your cousin should be up there too."

"That doesn't comfort me," Starscream sighed before they rushed out onto the bridge. "You two look after yourself!" He took to the air without waiting for an answer, transforming and flying straight at the on-coming Terrorcons.

Oriona ordered Demolisher to open fire, knowing that the order was not necessary but giving it anyways. She couldn't help but feel that the green and purple Decepticon did not respect her authority as much as he let on; if he did, he might have had more thoughts against touching her in any way that would make Megatron go after him. She shook her head before firing into the swarm of Terrorcons, smirking as they exploded before coming anywhere near the city.

She watched the three Seekers roar by overhead, their guns firing endlessly into the horde, making a rather beautiful display of carnage across the sky. She paused for a moment, wondering when she started to actually like this unequal fight, before ducking as an energon spear flew over her head. She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at Quickstart as the med-bot snorted and readied another spear.

"Didn't think I'd see you out here," she commented.

"Like I'm going to sit out on a chance to do some damage," Quickstart replied before grinning. "Besides, it's like target practice only with targets that shoot back."

Oriona rolled her optics before springing to the side as a Terrorcon swooped in for a close ranged attack. It ended its life eating one of Quickstart's spears, with the ring of her scornful laughter in its audios. She nodded to the medic before sprinting for the bridge, following the Terrorcons that were swooping down to drop off their partners. She fired into the line of approaching cyber-cats, listening to Cyclonus cackle madly just overhead. She punched her fist into the air as she let her gun cool down, earning a loud whoop from the chopper before he blazed past to fire wildly on the advancing line.

She heard a loud snarl before Cyclonus yelped in surprise. Scorponok had dropped out of the sky on top of him, knocking him off balance, and sending him careening for the bridge. She shouted at him to transform before she rushed forward, hoping to break his fall enough to lessen the amount of damage he would take. He listened to her suggestion, still spinning out of control until Flamewar grabbed him and hoisted him up onto her back.

"You okay there, shortie?" she asked as she smirked at the clinging chopper. "That was one nasty spill."

"Tell me about it," Cyclonus laughed before pushing himself off of her back to hover beside her. "Ooh, Megatron's got her on the run!"

She looked up and smirked as she watched Megatron chase Scorponok around, firing at her tailfins. She was letting out a steady stream of curses, flying around wildly to avoid getting shot. Megatron wasn't giving her time to recover from any shot, pushing forward to smash into her engines. She screamed in terror as she started spiralling towards the ground. Oriona heard her name called and looked towards the bridge. She opened her mouth to warn Ironhide to stay back, but he had stepped right under Scorponok's falling body.

Scorponok crash landed on top of him, sending both of them sprawling onto the ground. Ironhide let out a soft groan before Scorponok twitched and sat up, her legs draping over Ironhide's back.

"Thanks for breaking my fall, rookie," she grumbled before rolling over and getting up. "Ow."

"Ahahahaha!" Cyclonus cackled before pointing at her. "So, who fell down now?!" he shouted.

Scorponok snarled at him, her pincer hands clacking together before she leapt aside. Ironhide's fist hit the ground and he growled at her, spinning around to face her head on. She hissed at him, her visor snapping down to hide her red optics from view. Megatron landed behind her and gave her a sharp jab in the back, smirking as she stumbled forward to receive a blow from Ironhide. She smirked as she managed to turn herself around Ironhide, wrapping her arm tightly around his throat and pressing her tail, stinger pressing against his helm.

"Back off, Megatron," Scorponok whispered, pressing the purple stinger closer to Ironhide's helm. "Or else darling Ironhide is history."

Megatron froze before snarling at her, his wings arching over his head in rage. Ironhide let out a small gag, tugging weakly at Scorponok's arm as he tried to escape. Oriona was about to leap forward when a laser ate the ground at her feet. Scorponok shook her head at her before smirking cruelly.

"Don't even try it, darling," she sneered.

She turned her attention back to Megatron in time to gasp as Flamewar dropped down near her head and kicked her. She released Ironhide and stumbled backwards, only to get knocked to the ground as Demolisher charged forward. They rolled around for a moment, fighting and snarling before Scorponok fired two bursts of lasers out of her back-mounted turrets. Demolisher sneered at her as they flew by, only for his face to twist in horror as Cyclonus let out a howl of pain.

Oriona darted forward and managed to catch Cyclonus before he crashed into the bridge. His chest was torn open so that his spark was exposed, the steady pulsating orb's tempo increased from stress and terror, and his rotors were shredded into nothing. He whimpered weakly before cuddling against her chest, trembling from head to toe before a loud roar reached them. She looked up and saw Megatron chasing after a retreating Scorponok, shooting and snarling after her until she vanished through her space bridge with what remained of her Terrorcons.

Demolisher was at her side in an instant, staring down at Cyclonus before swallowing. "Cy...Cyclonus?" he choked before the chopper blinked up at him, energon leaking out of his chest and down his back. "We need to get him to a medic!"

Oriona nodded to him before Demolisher leant down and scooped the smaller mech up, swinging him up onto his shoulders in the human "fireman" carry. He took off in the direction of base while she ordered Flamewar to look for any other injured mech and get them to the medbay as quickly as she could. She radioed Quickstart and told her to get to the medbay immediately, only to find out that she was already in there tending to a few of the minor injuries sustained in the battle. She winced before telling her that an injured mech was being brought to the medbay and would need immediate attention.

She moved quickly to follow Demolisher, feeling that she would have to drag the medic off of the soldier when she saw the state that Cyclonus was in. Demolisher was trembling in terror, Cyclonus' energon trickling down his frame as they rushed down the hallway. He barrelled through the medbay doors and rushed over to the closest berth.

"Is that the...," Quickstart turned to look at them, only for her optics to fly open in horror. "Cy...Cyclonus?" she whispered before striding over, staring down at the whimpering chopper for a painfully long moment before she turned on Demolisher. "I TRUSTED YOU!" she screamed.

Demolisher stepped backwards, whimpering as he bowed his head. "I didn't know it would happen! I didn't see where the lasers were going," he whispered. "Quickstart, I never would have...."

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, NOW!" she shrieked, throwing a fist at the green Con's face.

Demolisher dodged to the side before turning and fleeing the medbay, ducking in time to avoid getting a wrench to the head. Quickstart was breathing heavily as she stood trembling, every last part of her moving as her rage and terror built. She eventually let out a hiss of rage through grit dental bands before yelling at Red Alert to come help her. Oriona backed out of the room, her head bowed, before Quickstart told her to get her aft back in the room.

"I need someone with a CPU to keep him online," she growled before she set to work cleaning away the energon. "Primus knows this procedure is going to be harder than the Pit to do!"

Oriona nodded to her before walking over to Cyclonus' head, petting him reassuringly as he let out a whimper. He leant into her hand as Quickstart started moving fuel lines aside, wincing as more energon bubbled up. He whimpered softly before asking her if he was going to die; Quickstart shuddered before a tear ran down her face.

"Not while I'm still on duty, love," she whispered before reaching over and pressing her hand to his cheek. "Just be strong for a little while longer, okay?"

Cyclonus closed his optics before letting out a shaky breath, nodding weakly before his limbs went slack. Quickstart let out a shout of terror before yelling at Red Alert to get the spark support system online and attached to Cyclonus. Oriona stared at the mech's slowly fading optics and felt her body start to tremble; they were going to lose him, no matter how hard Quickstart fought to keep him online. She leant in close and pressed her forehead to his, sobbing softly as she tried not to picture the little sparkling that she had known since he had been protoformed shortly after Quickstart and Skywarp finished their time at the Academy.

He was Quickstart's one and only sparkling, a pure fluke that never should have happened; Quickstart's womb chamber was imperfect and had too thin of walls to support a growing spark. The fact that he had survived had been a miracle and Quickstart had been beyond ecstatic. She didn't even want to image the pain she was going through knowing that he was dying beneath her fingers. She let out another shaky sob before she felt her chest plate burning, the heat making it unbearable to stand.

She let out a weak groan before she collapsed on the berth, her chest level with Cyclonus' head. Quickstart looked at her and demanded to know what the slag she thought she was doing, but all she could manage was a choking gag in return. Her chest felt like it was going to explode and she reflexively placed her hands over her spark, breathing deeply as the pain increased. Quickstart demanded to know what was wrong and Oriona opened her chest plate to get rid of the pressure.

She was knocked backwards onto her aft as a beam shot out of her spark and wrapped itself around Cyclonus' head. Quickstart let out a shriek of terror as the beam started wrapping around Cyclonus' body, enclosing it in a bright white light. Oriona struggled to stand up, staring at the beam as it started to pulsate in time with his spark. Everyone in the medbay was staring at the glowing form until it shattered into pieces, reflecting the light overhead before melting away.

Cyclonus sat up and shook his head rapidly, shaking the last bits of light away before tilting his head to the side. "Why's everyone staring at me?" he asked.

"Maybe it's because you have a pair of fragging skis!" Quickstart snarled before rounding on Oriona. "What did you _do_ to him?!"

Oriona winced before shaking her head. "I...I don't know," she replied. "I just had this pain in my chest and...then this happened."

Cyclonus tipped his head to the side before laughing. "Yeah, thanks for the boost, Oriona!" he chuckled before letting out a yodel. "Hahaha! I haven't felt this good in ages!"

"Did he just...yodel?" Red Alert asked, blinking at Cyclonus in stunned horror.

Quickstart let out a blast of air from her intakes, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "You know what? I really don't want to deal with this right now," she growled before shoving a finger in her son's face. "Now you listen here, young mech, don't you dare try flying, you hear me?"

Cyclonus tilted his head in confusion, the mask over most of his face twitching slightly. "Why would I try flying?" he asked in confusion. "I'm not a Seeker, mom."

Quickstart blinked in surprise. "Cyclonus, what are you talking about?" she asked.

"Why did you call me that?" he asked in return, a frown evident in his voice. "My name's Snowcat, remember?"

"Snowcat?" Quickstart squeaked in surprise, her optics flying open.

"Don't act too surprised, Quickstart," Megatron's voice called before he walked into the room with a dazed Starscream dangling on his shoulder. "Oriona managed to reformat him somehow. My best guess would be that the Matrix of Leadership sensed her pain over the thought of losing him and did the only thing it knew how to in order to save him."

"So...he doesn't remember...anything?" Quickstart breathed, earning a small glare from Snowcat.

"Not about being a Seeker or going by Cyclonus, that's for sure," Megatron replied before setting Starscream down on a berth. "He's still your son, Quickstart, don't worry. Now, could you help me with this clumsy tincan? He managed to smash into the main tower after chasing a group of Terrorcons."

Quickstart nodded before walking over and checking Starscream's helm for lumps. She mumbled to Megatron to get a hold of Demolisher to let him know he was allowed back into the medbay so she could apologize. He commented that it must have hurt to admit that and she punched his chest with a low growl. He chuckled as he rubbed his chest, calling Demolisher over the com link to tell him to head in.

He poked his head in a few minutes later, his optics blinking nervously as he spotted Quickstart. "Is he...okay?" he asked as he walked in.

Quickstart nodded before jerking her thumb over at Snowcat as said mech stiffened and perked his head up more to see Demolisher. He was off the berth in a moment, sliding over to Demolisher on his insanely long skis as if they had always been there, laughing his familiar laugh before he stopped in front of Demolisher and clapped his shoulder. Demolisher looked horrified and looked to them for help, his optics begging for this to be some kind of joke.

"Say hello to Snowcat," Megatron stated calmly before twitching his wings. "It's good that he's alive, isn't it, Demolisher?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah," Demolisher nodded quickly, clapping Snowcat's shoulder. "Good to see that you pulled through, uh, buddy."

Snowcat let out a wild laugh before nodding. "Come on, Demolisher!" he laughed before dragging the taller Con towards the door. "This place is just way too dull!"

Demolisher sent them one last pleading look before the pair vanished through the doors. Quickstart let out a shaking breath before ordering Starscream to remain in the medbay until the bump on his head was gone; there was a good chance of a concussion from the impact. She gave her head a shake before stepping back, rubbing her face before asking if she was supposed to mourn Cyclonus' death. Megatron gave her a reassuring hug before telling her that Cyclonus wasn't gone; he was still there in Snowcat. The trauma of almost losing him was just keeping her from seeing it. She glared at him before growling that he had better be right or she was ripping his wings off and shoving them so far up his aft they'd pop out his optics. Megatron's disturbed face at the comment was enough to make the few of them chuckle.

"Where's Ironhide?" Oriona asked.

"He took a drive inland," Megatron replied. "He needed to clear his head; he didn't have any injuries so I didn't see the harm."

Oriona nodded before frowning. "I hope he doesn't do anything stupid," she murmured.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Ironhide glanced around the clearing, his audios turned to their most sensitive setting. He was still nervous about coming here; a Seeker could easily fly overhead and spot him, in spite of the dense tree cover that bathed the clearing in a soft green light; his brilliant red and blue paintjob made him stand out like a beacon. He scanned the surrounding area and relaxed when he didn't find any Autobot energy signatures near him.

"Alright, coast's clear," he called gently before turning around. "You can come out now."

He heard a soft sigh of relief before Scorponok wiggled her way out of the foliage. She smiled at him before making her way over to him, purring gently as she pressed her head into his chest. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead, his spark still hammering in his chest in fright; an Autobot could come by at any minute and spot them. He didn't want to have to explain to his mother or father about this treasonous act, no matter how much he figured they'd understand.

"Sorry for threatening your life," she murmured before her arms around his chest. "I didn't have much of a choice."

"I know," he whispered before easing her down so that they were sitting in front of one another. "I don't hold any grudges, not with you."

She smiled again, her tail twitching happily before she rolled over to stare at the sky. Her claws flipped back to lock over her elbows, leaving her dainty hands to stretch up towards the canopy. He smiled at the innocent display of discomfort before he lay down beside her, draping an arm over her waist. She let out a low hum of contentment before rolling over and snuggling against him, her tail fitting easily over his shoulder.

He nuzzled her gently as he stroked her back, wondering how he had ever managed to capture her attention. He knew that she first started tracking him to get away from Alpha-Q long enough for him to lose interest in her during the night, but to think that she actually showed real affection for him blew his mind. He tilted his head to the side for a second, watching her curl happily against his chest with her optics powering down, before he moved in and kissed her lips.

Her optics flew open and she let out a squawk of surprise, wrenching her head away from him. He apologized and let her pull away, hanging his head in shame. Scorponok stared at him for another moment before shaking her head.

"What the slag was that?" she demanded.

"A kiss?" he ventured.

"I know that," she snorted before pointing at him. "But why did you do it?"

Ironhide hung his head before risking a glance at her. She looked more confused than angry so he wasn't as frightened to look her dead on. He sat up a little straighter and grinned weakly.

"Because I...really...really like you," he murmured.

She blinked before tilting her head curiously. "Is that what people do when they really like each other?" she asked, her naive nature peeking through the rough soldier she hid herself with.

Ironhide nodded, his helm "horns" bouncing. "Yeah, couples do it a lot," he replied. "So do family members, only they don't tend to go for the lips; usually it's on the cheek of the forehead."

Scorponok nodded for a moment, her red optics bright with curiosity. "Is that why you kiss my forehead all the time when we meet?" she asked before giggling. "Because you like me?"

Ironhide felt a blush overwhelm his face before he nodded, yelping as she lunged at him and sent them both rolling around the clearing. She nipped one of his helm horns gently before nuzzling her face into his neck, purring in contentment as he returned the nuzzle. He smiled at her before kissing her neck, earning a soft gasp from her as she went rigid in shock. He thought he had gone too far again before she let out a lengthy purr and snuggled closer.

"Now that felt good," she murmured before looking up at him. "Could you do it again?"

He nodded before kissing her neck again, making it as innocent as possible. He did not want to seem like he was taking advantage of her ignorance to the world of romantic relationships; she already had someone doing that to her. She purred louder before her glossa slipped out and licked his cheek. It was his turn to gasp in surprise, staring at her in shock as she gave him a half-lidded gaze.

"Scorponok?" he asked gently.

She smiled before leaning in and placing a kiss on his cheek. "I might not know much, 'Hide," she murmured into his audio, "but I do know an advance when I see one." He felt horrified that she had taken his kiss to mean that and opened his mouth to tell her that they could stop, but she pressed one finger to his lips. "I know you aren't meaning it to seem like you want to interface with me," she stated gently before smiling. "You're going about it the wrong way anyways."

He smiled when she laughed lightly at the thought. According to her, there were a dead couple that resided in her headquarters (she wouldn't tell him where the slag her base was though) that acted a lot like they did. Only difference was that they were both mechs and one of them couldn't move around very much. She could see what the two mechs did all the time but didn't have the courage to ask them what they were doing. She didn't want to come across as an idiot considering she was Alpha-Q's unwilling berth-partner.

They were both nice to her, but she had a feeling that the more dominating of the pair had a very belittling disposition towards her. The one that was "trapped within the darkness" was more timid and avoided talking to her at the best of times. He whimpered a lot and was constantly shifting around within his confines, calling out for his lover. She often described him as pitiful and something to feel sorry for; he would make his own judgement if and when he met the mech.

Scorponok's com link went off and she cursed as she reached up to answer it. "Yes, Alpha-Q?" she asked.

"Where are you, Scorponok?" Alpha-Q's voice demanded.

"Looking for energon, sir," she replied as she pressed a finger to Ironhide's mouth to cut off his growl.

"And?"

"None that the Terrorcons can reach," she stated professionally as her fingers tapped gently against his cheek. "I will continue with my search."

"No, you've done enough for one day," Alpha-Q replied. "Return to us, Scorponok; we miss you."

Scorponok's face twisted in disgust before she nodded. "Of course, sir," she forced out before cutting the com link. "Ugg, please let me purge my tank!"

He laughed before hugging her and nuzzling her. She sighed before returning the hug, placing a parting kiss on his cheek before she pulled back. She opened a space bridge back to her base before she looked at him again. She tilted her head to the side before springing forward and crushing her lips against his, making him gasp in surprise. Her lips moved against his for a moment before she pulled away, smiling fondly at him. She blew him another kiss before her claws snapped back into place and she walked quickly through the space bridge.

"Wow," he murmured before falling over and looking at the sky. "That was awesome."

He stared up at the sky and wandered just how they were going to make this work. Oriona and Megatron were not going to be impressed.

**Author's note:** Well, this is the extremely late chapter. Sorry about that. Did any of you see Scorponok and Ironhide coming? Did you? XD I like the odd couples that I slap together and demand that they cooperate. But, in the show, Ironhide's so determined to make Scorponok remember Alpha-Q that you just know there was a deep loyalty between them. Not necessarily love, per say, but a loyalty none-the-less.


	8. Femme in Disguise

Chapter 8 Femme in Disguise

Oriona was positive that something was bothering Ironhide. He was ignoring his brother more than he ever had in his whole life and even Side Swipe was starting to act funny. Both were surly and quick to attack, not a good combination with all of the ex-Decepticons who did not take that kind of slag from younglings. Already she had to save the mechs from an irritated Flamewar and a trigger happy Snowcat. Considering this happened three times over the course of a week, her patience had finally run out.

She held Ironhide and Side Swipe captive inside her quarters and glared the two squirming mechs down. She crossed her arms angrily over her chest and tapped her foot repeatedly, ignoring Megatron's demands as to why he wasn't allowed in to rest. He was currently locked out of the room and was fuming down their bond, pacing back and forth in front of the door.

"Alright you two," she growled, "start talking."

Side Swipe shook his head. "Ask him!" he replied, pointing at Ironhide. "He's the one with the guilty feelings!"

"Thanks a lot, brother," Ironhide growled, clenching his fists.

Oriona sighed before turning and opening the door, letting Megatron storm in; she couldn't pay attention to two conversations at once when Megatron tended to drown everyone else out when he started whining. He gave the two mechs one look before demanding to know why she was holding counsel in their room when he needed to recharge. Ironhide glowered at him, but Side Swipe actually bowed his head shamefully and kicked the ground. He apologized before turning to Ironhide and almost begging him to know what was going on.

Ironhide looked away from them and narrowed his optics. "You wouldn't understand," he retorted.

Oriona tilted her head before walking forward and touching his cheek. He winced, his helm horns twitching before he glanced at her. She smiled gently before pulling him close and hugging him, nuzzling him reassuringly before asking him to try. He shook his head before whispering that he couldn't. She felt a layer of the defences he had around his spark crumble and Side Swipe let out a ragged gasp before Ironhide froze.

"You're dating Scorponok?!" Side Swipe yowled.

The room went deathly silent as they all looked at Ironhide in surprise. He was trembling under her touch, both from fear of his parents' wrath and rage at his brother's betrayal. Megatron's disbelief roared through the bond, the desire to beat some sense into Ironhide presenting itself at the forefront of his mind. Oriona gave him one withering look before kissing Ironhide's helm.

"We are in no position to judge you, darling," she murmured gently. "Don't forget that your father and I committed the biggest act of treason known to the war. He should do well to remember it."

Megatron let out a lengthy sigh before grumbling about mates going against him; he still thought Ironhide needed a sound tune-up. She glanced at him before looking directly at Side Swipe, telling him that nothing that was discussed left the room. He nodded in understanding, eyeing his brother wearily as if he suspected him of attacking at any given moment. Ironhide glanced around before his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I guess I have to stop seeing her now...," he murmured.

"No," Oriona sighed before nuzzling him. "Just be careful; she is still an enemy and could just be using you. Be on your guard."

He gave her a cold glare before nodding; he did not like being treated like a sparkling. She shooed both mechs out of her room after that, stating that Megatron needed to recharge and unless they wanted an angry Seeker on their case for preventing that from happening they should move as quickly as possible. She glanced at her mate as he lay down on the berth, stretching himself out as much as he could with a loud groan. She rolled her optics before walking over and jumping onto his stomach, smirking as he grunted in surprise and curled his limbs inwards. He glanced at her for a moment before grumbling and offlining his optics.

"Grouch," she commented before curling up on him.

"Only when I want to be," he replied sleepily.

She smacked his chest gently before offlining her optics. She needed her recharge too, what with all the mayhem occurring in the last month. Things were so hectic that even she was starting to lose precious recharge to ensure nothing bad happened. Megatron's hand settled on her waist before his breathing deepened, the faintest snore issuing from him. She smiled before leaning up to kiss his cheek, murmuring a gentle good-night.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"Are we clear on our objective?"

"Yes sir."

"And what is it?"

"Take out Megatron at all costs."

"Collect as much energon as we can."

"And make sure the Scorponok does not get blown sky-high."

"So you can pay attention, sister, when you aren't staring at Springer's aft."

"Ew! I never do that!"

"Calm down you two."

"But she started it!"

"I am finishing it. Set an example for the sparklings."

"Sparkling; there's only one."

"Stop bickering and get ready to move out; Scorponok just gave us her signal."

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Oriona smirked at the sight before her. Hound had just shown up to help them protect the city since he had the uncanny ability to _smell_ their enemies approaching. Unknown to most was that he and Tidal Wave were an item, and probably the cutest pair on base at the moment. The moment the massive mech had spotted their green tracker he had let out an insanely high-pitched squeal and promptly picked him up and hugged him.

Hound was laughing at the display of affection, patting Tidal Wave's arm as he sat down on the ground and cuddled him to his chest. Tidal Wave let out a deep purr before rubbing his head into Hound's chest, earning a soft squawk of pain from the much smaller mech.

"Tides, you're squashin' me," he gagged.

Tidal Wave's optics widened before he pulled back, staring at the smaller mech in horror. Hound rubbed his side before patting Tidal Wave's head reassuringly, a pained smile on his face. The massive mech whimpered before pressing his face into his partner's side, his optics darkening with guilt. Hound patted him again before pointing to the ground and asking to be put down. Tidal Wave set him down delicately, looking at him worriedly while letting out a soft whirl.

Hound patted his head again before turning to face Oriona with a wide grin that had always been present on his face. He saluted and asked where he was needed; good ol' predictable Hound. Megatron pointed him towards where Inferno was on constant monitor duty and told him to put his uncanny ability to work. The green mech saluted and walked briskly away, glancing over his shoulder to give the pouting Tidal Wave a reproachful glare.

Tidal Wave bowed his head before standing up and looking at Megatron for orders. Hot Shot cleared his throat before commenting that he could use some help hauling some new equipment in. The massive mech followed him obediently out of the room.

"Poor Tidal Wave," Oriona commented, "he's such a sad little puppydog."

Megatron smirked before nodding. "Tidal Wave is oddly clingy towards Hound."

Oriona smirked before commenting that Hound had many special talents. Megatron made a face before leaning in and asking if he had to prove something to her. She giggled before slipping past him, purring softly while fluttering her optic shutters. Megatron growled hungrily before stepping forward, his wings quivering in barely suppressed delight. Before he even had a chance to pounce, the alarm blared through the base, making both of them jump in surprise.

Megatron ordered everyone over the com link to get outside and defend the city. He gave Oriona a quick kiss before he charged out of the room. She stumbled once from the force of his release before racing after him, catching up to him in no time. They both rushed outside, Megatron taking to the air to be with his "trine" as Starscream and Flamewar chased after a small group of Terrorcons. She grouped up immediately with her sons, pushing her shoulder against Side Swipe's as it sagged under the weight of a new gun. He flashed her a thankful smile before pointing the gun at an oncoming line of cat Terrorcons, inhaling and bracing himself.

He ended up on his aft anyways as the rocket exploded out of the muzzle. It blew the drones up and sent little metallic body parts raining down on their comrades. Side Swipe laughed as he sat up, shaking his head as he proclaimed that he wasn't built for the gun. Ironhide and Kicker laughed with him before both of them took off towards Scorponok as she chased a small group of soldiers around, teasing them and stabbing them with her tail. She helped Side Swipe to his feet before a laser ripped past her shoulder, making her gasp in surprise.

"Sniper on the tower!" Hound shouted as he came barrelling over to them, shooting at a bird Terrorcon as it swooped in for a pot-shot. "Aft's got pretty good aim; already sent Starscream to the ground."

"Is he alright?" she demanded.

"Hole through the wing; Red Alert's got him in the medbay and's fixing it up," he replied. "But someone's gotta take that sucker out!"

Oriona nodded. "Give me a bit of cover and I'll do it," she replied before radioing Flamewar.

The red femme was at her side a moment later, hand outstretched with a smirk. Oriona let herself get picked up and flown at blinding speed towards the tower, wincing as Flamewar dodged wildly around laser fire. She dropped her off a few levels below the sniper's position, explaining that it wasn't safe for her to be that close with a sniper. She wished her good luck before taking off to destroy the invading drones.

With a sigh, she started hauling herself up the levels of the tower. She could just see the muzzle of the rifle poking out over the ledge several feet over her head. She watched as it moved up and she followed it until she caught sight of Megatron fighting off three Terrorcons that were dipping in to scratch his wings. She felt her fuel lines freeze before she started climbing faster, determined to reach the sniper before he managed to shoot her mate. She hauled herself over the last lip with a snarl and tackled the sniper to the ground, earning a very high-pitched squeal in response.

She stared down at the grey and red femme that she had tackled and blinked in shock. She had been expecting a mech at best and a Terrorcon at worst, not this dainty little femme. Said femme was staring up at her with wide, terrified optics, their innocent blue glass trembling slightly. A dark red chevron stood out predominantly on her forehead and Oriona felt a wave of familiarity flow through her spark before she grabbed the femme by her chest plate and yanked her up towards her face.

"Who's your commanding officer?" she snarled.

"I...I...I," the femme blubbered, tears forming at the corners of her optics.

"Why are you shooting at us?" she demanded, deciding to ignore her original question. "We're fighting the Terrorcons, solider, not each other!"

The femme was trembling under her before she whimpered something. "I...I had orders to...to take out Megatron...at all costs," she whispered. "He's the only thing stopping Alpha-Q from reviving Unicron."

Oriona felt her fuel lines freeze up again before she picked the femme up and slammed her against the tower, earning a scream of pain. "He's trying to bring back Unicron?!" she screamed. "Is he completely insane?!"

The femme whimpered before a laser smashed into Oriona's shoulder, making her cry out in pain. Her grip slackened on the femme and she slipped out of her grasp, charging for the edge of the tower. She struggled to follow her, dental bands bared in rage as she watched her grab her sniper rifle off the ground where it had fallen and leap over the side. She gasped and staggered forward, her optics wide in horror before something big, red and white flew straight up past her. The femme was clutched tightly in the figure's grip before he vanished from sight, taking the femme with it.

She staggered a few more steps before rubbing her smarting shoulder. It was leaking energon down her arm, but the wound was small. The laser had been shot at an angle that would clip her shoulder and render the arm useless, but not cause major damage. She frowned in thought, wondering why an enemy would not want to cause her massive damage to free a comrade, but shook it off. She heard a loud roar of hatred below her and snapped her head up, only to gasp in horror.

Tidal Wave and another mech with a light green paintjob were wrestling in midair, swapping blow for blow in spite of the latter's smaller size. Tidal Wave was moving slower than normal energon dripping out of the crumpled armor on his chest and arms. His left optic was shattered and his cheek was dented inwards, enough to make energon and spit trickle out of it. The other mech showed less damage, but the rotors sitting on his back were bent backwards and smoke was billowing from his chest.

Tidal Wave landed a blow to the other mech's chest, sending him reeling backwards from the impact. He turned on the massive mech with a feral snarl, dark purple optics alive with fury. She recognized the face from somewhere, enough that it made her antennas perk curiously forward; where had she seen this mech before? She watched as he reached into his subspace and pulled out a battle axe that was probably as big as she was. Her optics widened before she shouted at Tidal Wave to get out of there.

The green mech swung the axe at Tidal Wave and the battleship was only just able to dodge to the side. The blade sliced open the armor on his arm and energon oozed out, one severed fuel line dangling out of the hole. The mech let out a growl as he chased after Tidal Wave, swinging the axe about in a mad attempt to catch him. The blade finally connected squarely with Tidal Wave's back, making him howl in pain and energon to gurgle out of him and splatter into the ocean below. The mech smirked before landing on Tidal Wave's back, making him roll over to grab him. His axe went up as he settled on the other mech's stomach, optics flashing darkly before he brought the blade down on Tidal Wave's chest.

"NO!" Oriona screamed, helpless to do anything now that her good arm was damaged; she needed both hands to fire her gun.

Megatron appeared above the mech with a savage snarl, grabbing him by the throat and hauling him off of Tidal Wave's body. Tidal Wave continued falling until Flamewar managed to grab his arm and guide him to the bridge. He landed with a dull thud, the noise barely covering the sound of Megatron beating the other mech to a pulp. Only a well timed shot to Megatron's wing saved the mech from deactivation. As if realizing that now was the best time to leave, he turned and fled, following Scorponok as she opened a space bridge for the pathetically few remainders of her Terrorcon army. They vanished through without a glance behind them, the sounds of snarling Terrorcons cutting off abruptly.

Megatron flew directly over to her and scooped her up into his arms, holding her close as he trembled with pain. The end of his wing had been blown off and energon, sparks, and smoke were issuing from it. She hugged him tightly with her good arm, reaching out to press the wound closed with her hand. She whispered Tidal Wave's name before the massive mech holding her turned and ordered all the soldiers to provide transport for said mech. He was to get to the medbay as soon as possible.

Tidal Wave was carried by almost ten mechs into the city, all of them almost running as they headed towards the medbay. Flamewar caught Megatron as he almost crashed into the ground, his injuries finally catching up with him. Part of his horn had been snapped off during a dogfight with a mech he could barely see, leaking energon down his face while his left leg barely supported him. Oriona hopped down and helped keep her mate upright as she and Flamewar started guiding him towards the medbay. There was a trail of energon leading into the medbay and Inferno was already working on getting it cleaned up.

When they entered, they were greeted by the sight of Quickstart covered in energon, her optics wide as she chanted "no" over and over again. She had herself elbow-deep in Tidal Wave's circuitry, trying vainly to stop the energon flow in his chest. Red Alert was working frantically to stem the energon flow elsewhere, covered in the mech's energon as well. Starscream was watching groggily from the bed next to the massive mech, murmuring for him to stop twitching so the medics could do their job. Tidal Wave kept whimpering Hound's name, his head twisting and turning as he searched for his partner. Hound was in the medbay a moment later, his optics wide as he manoeuvred around the three of them to reach the obviously dying warrior.

"I'm here, love, don't worry," he whispered as he grasped Tidal Wave's massive hand. "It's okay; Red and Quicky are going to fix you up good as new."

"Dark," Tidal Wave whimpered, his optics flaring in panic. "Cold...energon depleting...Hound...don't leave."

Oriona and Flamewar guided Megatron over to a berth nearby before she turned and stumbled towards Tidal Wave. Her chest was aching with pain again, the sensation reminding her of what happened to Snowcat. Quickstart was still trying to adjust with her reformatted son and she didn't want Hound to suffer like she was. She pushed on her chest plate in a desperate attempt to kill the feeling. Hound's hand grasped her shoulder and she met his optics.

"Do it, Oriona!" he shouted as Tidal Wave's twitching started to lessen. "I don't care if it changes what Tidal Wave looks like! Do it!"

She stared at him for a moment before her chest plates stared to rattle in pain. She gasped before facing Tidal Wave, leaning forward to grip the berth tightly as her chest heaved from the strain of holding the pain in. She felt her chest split in half before the pure white light erupted from her spark and smashed into Tidal Wave. The mech shivered as the light spread over his body, missing Quickstart by a mere inch as she leapt off of his chest, and clung to his form. He shuddered once, making everyone back away as the light intensified. Oriona lifted her arms up in front of her face and watched as the light seemed to pulsate around Tidal Wave's body.

His body gave one more shudder before it started to compress itself, the metal groaning as it was crushed. Hound let out a cry of shock that Oriona echoed in disbelief, their optics wide in terror. The compression stopped after almost two thirds of the original size had been crushed down, the light glowing softer as if deciding what to do next. Everything then started to slim out, twisting and turning a little as new parts formed from the mass that had once been the biggest Decepticon in the entire army. There was a gentle humming noise before the light dissipated, swirling away before vanishing, leaving a blue, yellow, and purple frame in its wake.

Oriona gawked at the figure on the berth as light green optics flared to life. Tidal Wave sat up and shook his head, pressing the delicate new hand to his face before shaking it again. The facemask hid his mouth from view, but the frown was evident on in his optics as he regarded his far too slim of legs with curiosity. He poked one, as if to make sure it was his, before his optics sparkled in delight. He looked around for a moment, spotted Hound, and let out a very high-pitched squeal of delight.

"Hound!" he shouted in his extremely, although rather deep, feminine voice. He launched himself onto the awestruck green mech and sent both of them to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "Look at me!"

Oriona continued to gawk for a moment before she looked at Megatron. "Did I reformat Tidal Wave into a _femme_?" she asked.

Megatron laughed before wincing as Quickstart finally started to fix his wing. "No, you didn't," he replied before smirking at her. "Tidal Wave's always been a femme; it's the Autobots that labelled her a mech."

Oriona gawked at her mate in shock before looking at the couple on the ground. Hound was laughing while petting Tidal Wave's head, the now smaller femme cuddling against him with a soft purr of contentment. Oriona gave her head a shake before slumping on the berth Megatron was on, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she heard the doors to the medbay open. She looked up and almost laughed as Ironhide and Side Swipe tumbled in. Side Swipe spied Tidal Wave first and tilted his head curiously before elbowing his brother.

"Uh, where'd she come from?" he asked, pointing at Tidal Wave.

Tidal Wave finally let Hound sit up, giggling softly as she snuggled against him while giving Side Swipe and Ironhide dangerous looks. "Hello boys," she almost purred.

Ironhide kept staring at her in surprise while Side Swipe's jaw hit the ground in disbelief. He spluttered for a moment before demanding to know why Tidal Wave was a "chick". Ironhide stared at his brother in disbelief as Kicker leant on his foot and glared at the femme. Tidal Wave brought her hand up to where her mouth would be under the face mask and let out a small giggle before Hound nuzzled her adoringly.

"What's this about Tidal Wave bring a femme?" Snowcat called as he skied into the room, a distressed looking Demolisher in his wake. He spotted Tidal Wave as she waved at him and he let out a laughing yodel before skiing over to her and circling the pair to get a better look at her. "You look amazing! About time you got a body that suited your spark!"

"Oh, shut up, Snowcat," Tidal Wave sneered before sticking her nose in the air. "I pulled off that suit of armor brilliantly!"

Snowcat shrugged before skiing over to Demolisher. He proclaimed that Demolisher agreed with him that it was high time Tidal Wave admitted to being a femme, looking at the taller mech expectantly. Demolisher only gave him a level stare before telling Tidal Wave that she didn't have to hide behind the armor of a dead mech anymore. For her part, Tidal Wave only rolled her optics before telling them that they worried too much about base appearance.

"Oh, and the next soldier that calls me 'Tidal Wave' is getting pitched over the bridge," she added as she tapped her nose in thought. "I will never _ever_ respond to that horrible name!"

Hound laughed before smirking. "So, you going back to your pre-war name, darling?" he asked.

Tidal Wave nodded before snuggling into him. "Yes; it's Mirage from now on," she agreed.

Oriona's jaw hit the ground and snapped back up to send her sprawling on her mate's lap. He looked down at her with a crooked grin as she stared up at him in a daze. Mirage had been a tower femme, rather stuck up and full of herself, but a kind-sparked femme when it came down to it. Rumours had run ramped around the Academy that Mirage had a thing for Hound but it had never been confirmed. Guess it was true after all.

Megatron laughed before patting her head, teasing her about mistaking a femme for a mech. She punched his chest in response, glaring up at him before she heard the pair on the floor move. She looked over at them and smirked at how well Mirage fit against Hound's body.

"You look like a dancer," she commented, prompting Mirage to look down at her body.

"I do, don't I?" she asked in an almost dreamy tone, swaying her hips in bliss. "It's been so long since I've actually been in a femme's frame; this is going to be so weird."

Oriona had to bite back her laugh as her sons watched Mirage's swaying hips with open mouths. They blushed the moment they realized they were staring and left the room with excuses about looking for someone. Mirage laughed at their hasty exit, giving her a knowing look before settling a hand on her hip.

"This is going to be fun," she laughed before leaning on Hound and purring softly. "It's nice not towering over everyone and not worrying about crushing someone."

"Aw, but now our mech moments will be gone!" Snowcat whined.

"We never had mech moments," Demolisher commented coldly. "Those were just pranks you pulled and somehow managed to drag the two of us into."

Mirage smirked before walking over and petting Snowcat's head. "Besides, it's not like anything's changed," she teased before turning and heading for the doors, swaying her hips seductively.

Hound made a weak noise before following her at a steady trot, his optics glued to her body. Oriona covered her optics before he ran into the wall, making Mirage laugh before pulling him back to his feet. She teased him about watching where he was going before dragging him out of the room. Snowcat let out a whine before grabbing Demolisher's arm and dragging him towards the door. The larger Decepticon looked disgusted but allowed himself to get dragged out, glancing over his shoulder at Megatron as if asking for help.

Megatron sighed before hissing as Quickstart tweaked something in his wing. "That's attached!"

"No slag," she snapped before pointing an energon-covered wrench at him. "Now sit still; I've done more repairs to Seekers than you have gears in your arm."

He grumbled something before glancing down at Oriona. "What where you doing on that tower, anyways?" he asked. "You certainly couldn't have gotten up there by yourself."

"Flamewar dropped me off," she replied, nodding to the red Seeker as she tried to get her cousin to lie down so that his wing could heal. "There was a sniper up there that was planning on taking you out of the picture...for good." She shivered before looking at him. "I know what Alpha-Q's plans are now," she stated urgently. "The fool's trying to bring Unicron back online!"

Megatron's optics widened in disbelief before he cursed angrily, moving to stand up and almost knocking Quickstart flat on her aft. She let out a squawk of rage before smashing her wrench down onto Megatron's head, making him cringe and grip his now bleeding helm tightly. She threatened to hit him again if he didn't sit still and not even Megatron was willing to get the younger sister to the infamous Hatchet really angry.

"Doesn't he know how much trouble we went through killing Unicron?" he growled, glaring at her. "And he wants to bring him back?"

"That's what the sniper said," she replied before sighing. "I have a feeling things just got more complicated, like there's a wild card we just haven't uncovered yet."

Megatron inhaled deeply and released a hiss through clenched dental bands. "We cannot allow Unicron to be revived," he growled, clenching his fists. "The next biggest deposit of energon in this galaxy is Cybertron; it's only a matter of time before they move into that sector of space."

"We'll be waiting," Oriona stated reassuringly before resting a hand over top of his. "I'll inform Ultra Magnus of the developments and let him take the necessary steps to get Cybertron on high alert."

She went to stand up, but his arm wrapped tightly around her waist before dragging her up against his chest. He murmured into her audio that it could wait for a little while, his lips brushing her helm gently. She smiled before curling against him, knowing that he wanted her close to keep him calm during the remainder of his repairs. She offlined her optics to focus on the steady whirl of his spark, hoping to help relax him at the same time so that Quickstart wouldn't have any more problems.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"You told her what our plans are?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"I panicked! I didn't mean to; it just slipped out!"

"You stupid little...."

"Leave her be; her actions have merely alerted our enemies to our plans. They are, however, still helpless to find us."

"For now; they will move to the defensive as soon as we move into Cybertron space."

"We're going after Cybertron?!"

"But that's our home! Why are we trying to destroy it?"

"We are only gathering the remaining bit of energon necessary to complete Unicron...as well as gather the imprisoned mechs to our cause."

"Why would we want ex-Decepticons? They'll just try to kill us."

"But they have the most firepower which means that they can take out our enemy before they get a chance to retaliate."

"The remaining population will then side with us, correct?"

"Correct."

"What a waste of laser fire."

"No one asked your opinion, Landmine; you follow orders, that is all."

"I know; my apologizes, sir."

"I want everyone ready for the final raid on Ocean City that will cripple its defences forever. We leave at dawn."

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"...We can't let this happen, Sideways; we have to warn Ocean City."

"We need energon to free you and rebuild my body; we must wait for the proper moment. Do not forget that Scorponok is already in a position to give information freely; she need only gather the courage to leave Alpha-Q's grip."

"Do you think she will gain that courage?"

"When she learns what will happen there she will; do not doubt her love for Ironhide. It is still young and blind, but they are destined for one another."

"Did our master revel that to you?"

"No, I have just seen it enough to know sparkmates when I see them."

"...And us?"

"Hehe, do not fret; we are bound to one another as tightly as any sparkmate. We must just be patient, my little Seeker."

"It's hard to do when I'm so use to being pushed away...."

"I will never do that, little Seeker, and never think otherwise. But we must be silent now; those renegades are on the move."

"Will they...?"

"He has already lost the youngest ones' support; they long to see their homeworld and do not want to see it destroyed. Nor does their mother wish to side with the murderers that killed her loved ones."

"So, they will join Megatron and Oriona?"

"Yes...eventually, when their mother deems it appropriate."

"And the others?"

"Will follow; their leader does not have as much control over them as he would like to believe."

"Good; I don't want that youngling to be corrupted by him like I was."

"He holds nothing of his father's traits; he will become a powerful mech one day."

"Scary thought?"

"Not really considering who the little one is descended from."

"Who?"

"All in good time, little Seeker. For now, rest assured that all will unravel in due course."

"What are you, a fortune cookie?"

"Don't make me slap you, Thrust."

"You know I like it rough."

"You Seekers and your one-track minds."

"Is that a rejection?"

"No; but I call top."

"Aww! You always get top!"

"That's because my legs aren't trapped in Unicron's maw."

"Fair enough; I'm waiting."

"Ug, you know I can see you right?"

"Slag off, ghost-boy!"

"Oh hush, you! I'm getting pointers."

"Ew...just...ew...."

"What? Alpha-Q doesn't even have anything that looks like...."

"LALALALALALA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"Nice one, Scorponok; but does Alpha-Q really not have a tube?"

"It's the size of a human."

"Zing!"

"Shut up you and start moaning."

"Yeah, I'm leaving now to get some sleep; do not let me hear anything that has anything to do with size while I'm recharging or I might just have to kill you...again."

"I thought you wanted pointers."

"I don't have a tube now do I."

"Touché."

"Night mechs; don't choke on each other's tubes."

"...Don't even think about it, Sideways; don't even think about it."

**Author's note:** Yeah...Tidal Wave turns out to be a femme. Probably not the last victim in this sequel alone (insert evil laugh here). And now you know why Hound was paired with her; because Hound and Mirage are totally a couple in G1!...or at least in the logic that lives in the slash-fans' minds. Yeah, the last bit is just a bunch of people talking in one general place, mostly because I want who they are to be a secret. Bet you can guess who they are pretty easily. Oriona's powers will be explained eventually; might be in the sequel; but Megatron's aren't even touched on just yet. Has anyone figured out who the ghost-jet is yet?


	9. To Cybertron With Help

Chapter 9 To Cybertron With Help

The very foundation of Ocean City shuddered under the force of the attack. Oriona's feet were knocked out from under her and she landed hard on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her intakes as the shuddering stopped. She coughed before rolling out of the way, growling up at the mech that had landed beside her. The green mech that had attacked Mirage was smirking down at her, his battle axe out and the blade glinting in the rising sunlight.

"Hello, Pax," the mech greeted before lifting the blade over his head, "and goodbye."

She rolled out of the way just in time, watching the blade slice into the bridge with ease; how that could have easily been her helm. She leapt to her feet as he yanked the blade back out, growling at her as he glared at her, dark blue optics promising death. She looked around quickly, looking for any place that she could lose him in; with no melee weapon at hand and her gun wouldn't charge fast enough to hit him, she didn't stand a chance. She took off as his axe whizzed over her head, heading towards the group that was fighting with the Terrorcons. The mech hollered behind her before his heavy footsteps followed her.

Hot Shot lifted his head up before he shot over her head to hit the mech behind her. She heard the mech go down with a howl of pain and gave Hot Shot a thankful smile. She stopped beside him as the group shouldered their weapons, looking around in search of a new enemy. There were fewer Terrorcons in this attack, almost as if they were not the focus this time. Instead, there were Cybertronians thrown about at random along their entire city, each with their own little group of Terrorcons, either trying to break into the city or take their mechs out.

She was still reeling from hitting the ground earlier, an ache building in her processor, when she spotted something up on the towers. She zoomed in on the image, curiosity taking over, and blinked in surprise. It was a black and white wing, but it looked different from the other Seekers. She activated her com and almost yelped in surprise as Megatron's arms wrapped around her waist a second later.

"You spotted that too, huh?" he asked before taking to the air, slipping past laserfire with ease.

"The wing?"

"Yes," he replied. "Starscream and Flamewar have never seen it before."

"So I get to investigate," she laughed before poking his nose. "I'd better get air-cover or your aft will be fried."

He smirked before giving her a quick peck on the cheek, nuzzling her gently, before depositing her on the tower. She nodded to him as he flew away, planning on drawing the other Cybertronian's attention towards him. She crept forward quickly, gun out for added protection, taking the curve of the tower. She caught sight of the black and white wings and crouched in preparation to pounce. The Cybertronian wasn't looking at her, shooting instead at the two Seekers darting by in front of them. She smirked triumphantly before darting forward and grabbing their wings, earning a scream of pain and surprise, before she wrenched the other Cybertronian off their feet and slammed them into the tower.

"Alright, you traitorous slag...er?" she gasped before staring at the other's face, the other staring back at her with equal surprise. "Prowl?!"

"Oriona?" Prowl asked in return, tilting her head to the side before sighing. "Figures...."

She gawked at the slightly taller femme, surprised to see her again after so many eons. She had been one of the few Autobots that had left with Hot Rod to "get away" from the war. Oriona knew that the other had been carrying her sparkmates'; yes, she had two; sparklings. Surely they were full grown by now, probably tagging after her boots like their fathers had. Question was what were they doing here and why?

Prowl shook her head, red chevron sitting up higher on her forehead. Her door-wings perked slightly before she looked over Oriona's shoulder, growling at the Seekers that were probably hovering behind her. Megatron let out a dark growl behind her before she felt his chest pressing on her back.

"Wait," he murmured before her head was half supporting his chest, "Prowl? What the slag are you doing here? I thought you left with Aft Rod to go colonize another world away from, I quote, 'death and repression'."

"Aft Rod?" Prowl asked, the serious tone re-entering her voice. "Is that your nickname for Hot Rod? Rather fitting considering all the slag he's put us through."

Oriona smirked before letting her go, knowing that Prowl wouldn't try to attack if she was overpowered. She was a logic-centered person who never liked to attack unless her plans were perfect or she had solved every last problem that went with the attack. She crossed her arms over her chest before looking at them curiously, her door-wings lifting up before she nodded.

"So, you two finally made up?" she asked, to which Megatron chuckled and nodded. "About slagging time."

Megatron chuckled before his arm wrapped around Oriona's waist, ignoring the sounds of battle behind him. Starscream finally flied over and shouts that the mechs need his assistance in taking the "green menace" out. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before turning and flying after his SIC, firing his shoulder-mounted guns repeatedly.

"Not all of us want to be here," Prowl murmured as she glanced over at her. "We're only doing this because we were told to...or else."

"Or else what?" she asked.

"...Alpha-Q's going after Cybertron next," Prowl changed the topic quickly. "After we're done here, we're heading there. Blue's already told you what we're planning to do; you have to stop them."

"Why can't you?" she asked.

"We're under constant scrutiny," she growled, her door-wings quivering. "I can't so much as yawn without Springer breathing down my neck."

"Springer?" Oriona gasped before groaning. "Slaggit!"

She touched her com link before glancing at Prowl. Her optics were narrowed at the sky, as if she was zooming in on something hovering far above their heads. She tipped her head back and squinted at the sky, trying to find what her old friend was staring at. There was a faint outline of a mech sitting just below the disk of the sun, but she couldn't quite make out who it was. Prowl let out a faint gasp as her optics came back into focus, her hand clamping around Oriona's wrist before she turned and started dragging her around the curve of the tower.

Oriona shouted at her to explain what was wrong, but she only received a terrified murmur in return. She glanced over her shoulder at the outline of the mech before her optics narrowed and she zoomed in on the image. The mech was still impossible to identify since his face was cast in shadows by the sun, but she saw something on his chest that made her optics widen in horror. Two tongues of flame reached around the Autobot symbol on the mech's chest, standing out boldly against the dark red chassis. Hot Rod was here.

"Prowl," she hissed, pulling her arm back to slow the other femme down, "why is he here?"

She looked cornered, her door-wings rising defensively for a moment before she shook her head. "He's in charge of the attack; Scorponok only gave the call for attack," she replied before shivering. "I have to find my sparklings; he'll kill them."

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because he saw that I wasn't attacking you," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm a traitor in his optics and he'll take my sparklings as punishment."

"Where are they?" Oriona asked.

"Blue's on one of the towers; I've already got in touch with her and she's trying to figure out how to get down," Prowl replied, slipping back into her serious persona. "I have to find Tracks personally though; she always closes her spark off when she's fighting." Her optics got a faraway look in them, as if she was looking into a different time. "She's so much like her father."

Oriona gripped her shoulder before asking what Blue and Tracks looked like. Prowl sent a data-burst to her, showing a pair of femmes leaning on each other and pulling a face at her as they stood on an outcrop of rock. Blue looked almost identical to her mother only she was grey and white instead of black and white, and her chevron was smaller and a lighter shade of red; she was the sniper that Oriona had trapped the day before. Tracks looked almost nothing like her mother, instead she was dark blue with twin flames adoring her chassis, her blue optics narrowed slightly in an almost sultry manner and her red faceplate holding a delicate smirk. Oriona looked at Prowl and smiled sadly, seeing their fathers staring back at her at the same time as seeing the young femmes.

"They're beautiful," she murmured, earning a nod of agreement from Prowl.

She reached down her bond and sent the image to Megatron, telling him to find the one that looked like Prowl and get her safely to the ground. Megatron didn't ask why he was doing such a thing, having seen the resemblance and the strong sense of fear through the bond. Prowl was crouching at the side of the tower, gauging the gap between them and another tower some meters below them. She nodded before pointing to it and lowering herself over the side, telling her to follow closely. Oriona nodded before watching Prowl drop onto the edge of the tower.

Oriona lowered herself over the edge and stared between her feet, making sure to line them up with the lip of the other tower. Prowl was standing off to the side, crouching down to look at the next drop to the bridge. She released the edge she had a firm grip on and felt her fuel tank rise in her chest as her feet encountered fell through the air. She hit the lip of the tower with a dull thunk, pushing herself backwards into the wall on impact. She stood there for a moment before looking at Prowl, grinning weakly as the other femme lowered herself over the edge again.

They both dropped onto the bridge and stood up shakily, looking around as they heard shouts go up. Both of them pulled out their gun and set off in search of Tracks, heading for where the fighting was. Prowl frowned for a second, her footsteps faltering before she charged forward, gun on her shoulder, and headed for a small group of soldiers near the side of the bridge. They heard shouting as they approached and Oriona pushed ahead, letting out a loud shout before the mechs all turned to look at her.

"Stand down, now," she ordered, watching Prowl rush past her to wiggle through the mass. "That's an order."

The mechs let out weak protests before stepping back, their guns still on the grinning blue femme that was bleeding from her arm, leg, and broken lip. The femme sneered at them before Prowl smacked her helm, telling her not to geode them on since they were not fighting. Tracks hung her head slightly before muttering that her paint job was ruined now, earning another cuff from her mother before Prowl stiffened.

"No," she whispered, looking towards the tower.

A loud scream of pain split the air and everyone turned to see what had happened. Oriona's optics widened as she watched a body tumble through the air, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud that shook the bridge beneath her feet. Prowl let out a shout before pushing forward, Tracks right on her heels with wide optics. Oriona ordered the mechs to keep fighting the Terrorcons until there were none left, before turning and following the two femmes. There was shouting up ahead and they reached the impact site, only to watch Prowl crush Blue to her chest, running her hand over the young femme's head as she sobbed over and over again. Blue was weakly protesting, her face twisted in embarrassment, and kept repeating that she was fine.

"What happened?" Oriona demanded as she pushed past the small family, heading to where her mechs were holding a group of Terrorcons at gunpoint as they defended the small crater that was made in the bridge.

Megatron and Flamewar were circling overhead, their hatred and rage surging through the air around the impact site. Her spark clenched in fear before she made to push forward, only for one of the Terrorcons to step forward and snarl at her. She faltered for a moment before glaring at it and telling it to let her pass. It snarled again before a stepping aside, its head low as another voice came from the crater.

"No, let her come," Scorponok's voice called before Oriona moved forward.

She gasped in shock at the sight of the other femme, her hands stained with energon as she tried to hold the gaping wound of another Seeker shut. Oriona stumbled forward, stopping beside the other femme before applying more pressure to the wound, trying to ignore the size of the wound and the fact that the broken bridge below was plainly visible through the Seeker's back.

"You just have no luck with your chest, do you, Starscream?" she tried to joke around her tears.

"Don't make me laugh," he grumbled in reply, his silver optics flickering. "It hurts."

"Sorry," she apologized before looking at Scorponok. "Why?"

Scorponok looked at her for several long moments before she looked down at the hands that were stained with her enemy's energon. Her claws were flipped back over her elbows, revealing the delicate hands beneath, and she shook her head in defeat.

"I'm sick of this fighting," she replied. "I'm sick of being a pawn in Alpha-Q's grand scheme of returning Unicron to the living world. I want freedom...I want...a life."

Oriona pushed her shoulder against the other femme's shoulder, nodding in understanding. She pulled a hand away and activated her com link, telling Quickstart to get out there to perform field dressings to Starscream's injuries before they could get him inside. She received a mountain of swears in return before the com link cut off. She smirked in spite of herself before looking up at Megatron and Flamewar.

They were still circling, but Megatron was firing at the sky, snarling about ripping someone's head off. She could still see the outline of Hot Rod against the sun, but now Springer was with him, his massive frame dwarfing her brother's. She could see a faint, faint outline of another mech hovering just below Hot Rod before they all vanished. Megatron stopped shooting at the sky and instead turned his attention back to his injured friend.

Both Seekers dropped onto the other side of Starscream's frame and pushed their hands onto the wound. They all sat there, hands deep in sticky energon, before Quickstart finally arrived, Red Alert in tow. They ordered everyone to stand back, getting in on either side of Starscream before they stared closing off fuel lines. All four of them stepped back, glancing at Scorponok as she bent down to stroke the head of one of the Terrorcons. She murmured something Oriona didn't catch and the Terrorcons purred before walking over and rubbing their heads against their legs.

Flamewar smirked before crouching down and petting the Terrorcon's head affectionately, earning a content purr. Megatron gave the two rubbing against him sceptical looks before glaring at the three that had tackled Oriona to the ground and snuggling against her. Oriona laughed before petting their heads, commenting that they were oversized pets. Scorponok nodded before adding that they were "killer attack cats", grinning as she flipped her visor back, leaving a streak of purple on her forehead.

There was a loud shout before Ironhide, Hot Shot, and Side Swipe raced over, guns out and pointing at Scorponok before Megatron told them to stand down. The Terrorcons stared at Ironhide for a moment before the ones on Oriona raced over to wind around his legs, purring and meowing loudly. Scorponok shook her head and muttered something about "cats" as Ironhide stared down at the Terrorcons snuggling against him. Side Swipe let out a snicker before looking over at Prowl's little family.

"Who's that?" he asked.

Prowl led her twins over to the group and shook her head. "We'll introduce ourselves later," she stated simply before moving forward. "Right now, Starscream needs medical attention. Hot Rod's lasers have a corrosive consistency to them that will continue to eat away at his armor if we don't get him out of here and into a proper medbay immediately."

Quickstart stared at her for a moment before cursing and calling Inferno over the com link to open a space bridge to Cybertron. She added to warn Ratchet of a critical condition Seeker inbound for his medbay. She pointed at Oriona and told her to come along; if worst came to worst, she'd have to use that weird upgrading ability of hers to save Starscream. Megatron growled that he was coming to, which prompted Hot Shot, Ironhide, and Side Swipe to shout that they wanted to come to. Scorponok muttered that she wasn't staying with the mechs of Ocean City, confirming that she too would be accompanying them. Prowl added that she and her daughters would also come, planning on talking to Ultra Magnus about stepping security up for the time being.

Flamewar volunteered to stay behind to keep everyone in line. Quickstart ordered Red Alert to stay behind in case they came under attack again, transforming and opening the back of her alt mode to let them fit Starscream comfortably inside. Everyone headed for the space bridge, ignoring any of their injuries as they transformed and raced through it. The moment they left the space bridge, Ultra Magnus escorted them inside, his optics roaming around in paranoia.

Quickstart didn't bother waiting for an escort, taking off in the direction of her brother's medbay, sirens wailing to make sure no one got in the way. Everyone else gathered in the Command center, a few of the leading human scientists in attendance with worried expressions. Oriona stated that the bases on Earth were safe for now and instead they had to focus on keeping Cybertron safe. Wingdagger burst into the room with Padlock on her heels, demanding to know where Starscream was and why he was in pain.

"Medbay," Megatron stated curtly. "Laser to the stomach. Ratchet's tending to him right now."

"Fraggit!" she hissed, leaning on the doorframe as she clutched her midsection. "He took it hard; he hasn't been in this much pain ever! And he was almost dying ten years ago."

"Is he...?" Blue whispered, her innocent blue optics widening.

"No, it just hurts like a glitch," Wingdagger replied before turning and leaving."Hey Prowl; I was wondering when you'd turn up. Thanks for the heads up on the prisons, by the way; place is on high alert thanks to you."

Oriona glanced at the other femme and received a small smile in return. "I don't want any of those criminals getting out," she stated matter-of-factly. "I want those frag-tards to rust in there for all eternity."

"Ouch," Kup chuckled before shaking his head. "Harsh, Prowl; never thought I'd hear something like that come from your mouth."

Prowl smiled before trailing a hand over Blue's head, earning a squeak of indignity and a loud "mom" in return. Tracks snickered at her twin's misfortune before looking at Ultra Magnus curiously, tilting her head before smirking and waving. Ultra Magnus gave her a serious look before shaking his head and muttering about how much like her father was. Oriona chuckled before the floor beneath their feet glowed and turned transparent, making several of the room's occupants to gasp in surprise.

A large glowing spark could be seen far below them, pulsing gently before the room glowed with the same soft light. Oriona had a sensation of a caress over her antennas before she nodded to the glowing spark.

"So, some of our lost ones have returned," Primus murmured. "Welcome back, little ones."

Blue and Tracks' optics widened and they whispered to each other in surprise. Primus chuckled as Prowl bowed her head respectfully, signalling her sparklings to do the same. Scorponok was edging closer to Ironhide, her energon stained hand closing around his forearm, and her optics full of unease.

"You have nothing to fear, Scorponok," Primus stated gently before chuckling. "You are welcome here."

The femme relaxed her stance, but did not leave her place beside Ironhide. Oriona pretended to ignore them, shooting her mate a smirk as he shook his head slightly.

"Oriona," Primus called, bringing her attention back to him. "You have learned to upgrade the mechs and femmes around you."

"Yes," she replied. "But I don't know how to control it, only that their dying sparks triggers the reaction."

"Your powers are premature, still developing," Primus replied, a tendril of warmth spreading across her cheek. "We will worry about honing it after; Starscream needs an upgrade now. His armor is deteriorating but his body is strong. Your brother's attempt to kill him to get at young Bluestreak was powerful, but lacked the precision to actually send him to the Matrix."

"Hot Rod did that?" Hot Shot gasped. "But...why?"

"That will be worried about later, young one," Primus replied gently. "For now, Oriona and Megatron must head to the medbay; Starscream needs his upgrade while he is stable."

Oriona nodded before she and Megatron turned and raced out of the room. They headed for the medbay, both worried about Starscream's current state. She felt Primus' presence in her limbs and his gentle voice telling her that he would help her control the upgrade so that Starscream would not be harmed. She glanced at her mate and noticed the faraway look in his optics; Primus must have been speaking to him.

They burst into the medbay and Ratchet immediately led them over to where Starscream was lying. He looked worse for wear, but he was looking at them with a small smile.

"My turn?" he asked before laughing weakly. "Hopefully I don't end up in the medbay anymore; this is getting very annoying."

She smiled down at him before moving to stand at his head. Primus instructed her to concentrate and the pressure in her chest reappeared. She closed her optics and focused on bringing in air to cool her systems, watching as an image of Starscream appeared before her optics. Primus' spark moved around the image and started making changes to it, taking over the reformatting process as she felt the blast of heat leave her chest. She onlined her optics to Wingdagger's cry of shock, catching sight of Megatron holding her back as the white light swept over Starscream's body.

He inhaled in shock before the light started to pulsate and move around him. There were no sudden jumps as the other two had had. The changes were far more gently, moving as easily as water around Starscream's body before it stilled. It hovered over him for another moment before it vanished, small tendrils of light floating away.

Starscream sat up and rubbed his head, his colours startling her for a moment. Wingdagger let out another cry before she tackled Starscream, making Oriona jump in surprise at the sight before her. Both of them paused before Wingdagger pulled back, blinking at Starscream in surprise before giggling. Starscream let out a weak growl before his new green wings twitched in annoyance. He was smaller than Wingdagger now, his head just fitting under her chin, and his colours were oddly put together; startling greens with white and dark blue.

"Very nice, Starscream," Megatron laughed.

"Oh shut up," he grumbled before looking at his hands, flexing them. "At least I'm alive."

Oriona sighed before sitting down on the berth beside Starscream's. She rubbed her helm before sighing and falling backwards onto the berth, staring at the ceiling. Megatron appeared upside down in her perspective, grinning down at her as she stuck her glossa out at her.

"Prowl's sparklings look a lot like their fathers," Wingdagger piped up suddenly. "What'daya think she'll do when she finds out that one of your sparklings is...?"

Oriona hadn't stopped to think about that and sighed. "Hopefully, they'll think twice before telling her their names," she grumbled.

"Darling, it's Ironhide," Megatron sighed.

"Slag."

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Prowl glanced at the two mechs that were staring at them curiously, one of them with their arm around Scorponok's waist, and nudged her daughters. Tracks shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, growling that she wasn't talking to them. Bluestreak only shook her head, glancing at them nervously; she did not trust new mechs very well. She sighed before pushing them forward, grumbling about them being friendly before the two mechs glanced at them.

"Hi!" the smaller of the pair greeted, smiling and waving. "Welcome to the base."

Prowl smiled. "I've been here before, little one," she replied before nudging her daughters forward. "They haven't though. This is Tracks," she added, nudging Tracks, "and Bluestreak," she nudged Bluestreak. "I'm Prowl."

The taller one nodded. "I'm Ironhide," he stated.

Prowl's optics widened. "She named you after her uncle?" she asked.

Ironhide nodded. "Yeah," he replied before smiling shyly. "I don't think I'm as good as the original though. He's got a lot more firepower and accuracy."

"Stop tearing yourself down, bro!" the smaller mech laughed before punching his shoulder. "You're pretty good right now!"

Prowl smirked before looking at the smaller mech. "And what's your name."

"Side Swipe," he replied with a smile.

Prowl felt her spark fall out of her chamber and her door-wings threatened to fall as well. Bluestreak frowned and she shot her daughter a warning look. She thanked Side Swipe and Ironhide before turning and walking over to Ultra Magnus, wondering if there was a temporary room that she could reside in. The older mech nodded and gave her the access code to one of the rooms, his optics full of understanding.

She thanked him before turning around and leaving the room, going as fast as she could down the hall. She found the room easily enough and punched in the password, only to get a loud and angry blaring to tell her that it was wrong. She stared at the touch pad in surprise before punching the password in again. The blaring sounded again and she growled in frustration.

"That one's touchy," a voice called, making her jump in surprise. "Gotta really hit the five when ya touch it."

She spun around, planning on attacking, only to freeze up. Jazz was leaning against the wall across from her, grinning gently before walking forward. She relaxed her stance slightly before greeting him, thanking him as she turned back around. His hand settled on hers before he pressed close to her back, making her stiffen.

"Prowl, why don't ya come with me?" he asked gently his mouth pressing against her audio. "You'll feel better if you're with company."

"Jazz, don't," she murmured before looking at him, staring into his blue visor. "I still...."

He turned her around and smiled at her before kissing her, making her gasp in surprise. "Prowl, yer insulting yer mates worse with this mourning slag; ya know that they would want ya ta keep havin fun."

She closed her optics and looked away from him. "How can I when they aren't here?" she whispered, a sob growing in her throat. "The wound has been reopened again and...."

"How can hearin it make the wound reopen?" Jazz snorted. "Tracks looks and acts so much like her poppa that I thought he'd come back to life."

"I'm not talking about this, Jazz!" she snapped, growling up at him and struggling for a moment. "Let go!"

She heard Jazz grunt for a moment before two extra bodies were pressed against hers, making her gasp in surprise. Jazz stepped back and lifted his hands up, showing that he wasn't touching her as the two bodies pressed closer. She felt a set of head-fins brush her chevron before a glossa slid along her chin, two very familiar purrs echoing in her head.

"Prowly," a voice cooed before she glanced to the left, meeting a set of blue optics and a cocky grin, "be nice to Jazz."

"He'll take good care of ya," another voice added, making her glance to her right and seeing a brilliantly yellow chest. "Don't worry about it, Prowl."

"Sunny...Sides," she whispered before both mechs pressed closer to her. "I miss you...so much...."

"We know, darling," Sideswipe whispered before he placed a kiss on her jaw. "But you've been hurting yourself enough; we know that Jazz'll care for you. And we know you feel for him too."

"It's okay to fall in love again, Prowl," Sunstreaker murmured as he nuzzled her chevron. "We'll always be in your spark, love, but don't hold back because of us."

She closed her optics before inhaling shakily. The two bodies pressed closer before moving away, their love flowing around her even as they vanished. She looked up at Jazz and smiled weakly before straightening up.

"I'll...take you up on that offer, Jazz," she murmured before he wrapped an arm around her waist. "But I want to recharge, that's all."

"I can deal with that," he chuckled before nuzzling her. "Not like I'm gunna 'face you into the berth."

She made a face and smacked him over the head, grumbling about inappropriate discussions. He laughed and told her that she hadn't changed a bit since she left the Academy. She smiled before murmuring that was how she liked to live, glancing over her shoulder to see if the Twins were still there. They grinned and winked at her from where they were leaning against the wall, their brilliant colours glowing for a moment before they vanished.

'I miss you,' she thought before leaning on Jazz's shoulder, snuggling against his chest. 'Why'd you have to die?'


	10. A Loss

Chapter 10 A Loss

The siren was blaring around the Command center, earning several shouts of annoyance from the humans for the unnecessary volume and orders thrown around by the commanding officers. Oriona was trying to wiggle past a few of the larger mechs, none of them realizing that the femme trying to get through was her. There were times when she really hated being so short. Megatron ended up picking her up and swung her onto his back as he easily sent the other mechs scampering out of his path.

"What is going on?" he demanded.

"There's been a break in at the underground prison," Ultra Magnus replied, his fingers clacking over the keyboard in a blue and white blur. "Wingdagger, you know those tunnels better than any of us; get over there and try to head those prisoners off. Don't let any of them get out."

Wingdagger nodded before turning and darting out of the room, Padlock right behind her. Megatron gave Ultra Magnus a scathing look before growling that he would give orders from now on. Ultra Magnus bowed his head, his optics flashing in repressed anger; he did not like being spoken down to by any ex-Decepticon. He might have had respect for the massive mech, but he never liked being ordered around, not even by Oriona or Kup. Starscream moved forward and started typing away at the keyboard, growling as the screen flashed red to announce that his order had been rejected. He demanded to know who changed the password into the prison's security system, only to have Ultra Magnus tell him to get moving; it had obviously been hacked.

Oriona ordered everyone over to the prison, telling them that if any of the criminals shot at them they had permission to shoot back. The mechs stationed inside the prison radioed in to tell them that the inmates were loose and running ramped inside. Several of their numbers were already dead, but they were able to keep the mechs underground. Megatron ordered them to shoot anyone that got too close to the entrance; none of them were to get out. If they could somehow get the prisoners back into their cells, they were to lock them in and deactivate their weapons. No matter their brutality, they were to avoid killing as much as they possibly could.

They reached the prison and Starscream ordered some of the better snipers to stay outside in case someone _did_ manage to slip past them. Bluestreak; Prowl had corrected them after they called her "Blue" in belief that it was her name; led the others up onto the tower, swinging herself up with enough skill to put a cyberninja to shame. Tracks had her gun out and was teasing Wheeljack over the fact that she had a bigger gun than he did. He glared at her and told her to pay attention instead of yakking, grumbling to Hot Shot about how he couldn't stand her. Oriona gave him a small glare before ordering him to follow them.

Oriona and Megatron split up, taking two groups into the prison. Immediately after they entered, Oriona and her group were involved in a violent gunfight. It didn't last long and they had luck on their side; all the criminals that had been shooting were lying dead on the ground. Wheeljack poked a few bodies with one of his guns and called that they were dead, spitting on them at the same time.

"Ew," Tracks commented before walking over. "Was that necessary?"

"Yes," Wheeljack growled before glaring at her. "These mechs don't deserve even the salvation of a jailcell."

"Are you in any position to say that?" she sneered, shoving her face in his.

"Yes, I am," he snarled in return, his defences rising instantly at her advance.

"Behave, you two," Oriona sighed before walking past them. "Keep moving; we have to get to the lower levels."

They both growled at each other, but followed anyways. Oriona couldn't help but smirk, knowing that those two were going to drive everyone crazy with their unending growling, cussing, and insults. They had been at each other's throat from the minute they had met. Wheeljack found Tracks' personality annoying and degrading. Likewise, Tracks' thought Wheeljack was boring and dull. They were almost complete opposites and almost always refused to work together. But, either way, they made an unstoppable duo when they actually cooperated.

They headed down the slopping hallway, glancing around at the empty cells with unease. Not all of them had been filled, but the fact that the doors were hanging open and energon was splattered against the frames made even the most sturdy fuel tank turn over. Oriona had to repress a shudder of disgust before leading them deeper into the winding depth of the prison. This place always gave her the creeps and she avoided coming down here as much as she could. But she had to appear strong and unmoveable to inspire a bit of courage in the mechs and femme following her footsteps.

She heard gunfire up ahead and they all sped up, swapping knowing looks; their enemies were just up ahead. There was an explosion around the corner in front of them and they all hit the ground as it shuddered beneath the force of the explosion. There was a sticky splat before a body hit the ground just ahead of them, having hit the corner of the wall first. Tracks let out weak gag before she scuttled closer to one of the mechs; judging by the soft growl, it was Wheeljack. Oriona looked up and balked in horror; a mech was lying in front of them, his dark optics staring at them while energon leaked out of his mouth. His lower half was twisted around, wires sparking and energon oozing out of ruptured fuel lines, while smoke billowed out of the mech's gut. She let out a yelp of surprise before backing up into Kup's lap, gawking at the grey lifeless form in front of her.

He patted her back gently before forcing her to her feet; everyone was as stunned as she was so they didn't seemed to notice that their leader just panicked. They all edged forward nervously, poking the corpse to make sure that it was dead. Tracks shuddered and backed away, grumbling about energon staining her boots as an excuse to stay away; it didn't matter that her face revealed that she was sickened and liable to purge her tank at any moment. Wheeljack flipped the corpse over with a grimace before stating that it was one of the criminals; it bore the slashed Decepticon insignia that Megatron gave each one that was sent into the prisons to show that they were no longer favoured amongst society.

"So, one of our guys shot him?" Kup asked.

"No," Wheeljack replied, standing up and nudging the body away. "No one has a weapon with this much power behind it. This was another of the inmates that did this."

"Why would they do this?" Tracks asked stepping forward to poke the corpse with her toe.

"Because he's insane," Wheeljack replied before turning down the passage. "He's heading for Cybertron's core and we have to get there quickly; he's crazy enough to try to kill Primus."

Oriona ordered everyone to move, stepping gingerly over the dead body. She tried not to cringe as she started to run down the hallway; she hated walking near dead bodies. She yelped in surprise as a body tackled her to the ground, sending them sprawling on their back. She groaned before sitting up, only to meet the business-end of a blaster. She yelped in surprise again and tried to scramble backwards, only to watch Wheeljack whack the mech over the head with a snarl.

"Get off," Wheeljack snapped. "Don't you know your leader when you see her?"

The mech scuttled backwards with an apology as Wheeljack helped her to her feet. The mech was shoved around for a few minutes as Megatron, Starscream, Hot Shot, Side Swipe, and Ironhide made their way over to her. After repeating that she was alright, she wiggled out of the group and kept heading down the passageway. Ironhide called after her to wait up before she felt Megatron's arm pressing against hers.

"We have to move quickly," he stated as he increased his pace. "Wingdagger called over the com link to say that she had a dangerous convict heading towards Primus' resting place; she was planning on heading him off."

"She's in over her head," she hissed as she struggled to keep up with him. "We just found another criminal that the mech shot; his gun ripped a hole right through the mech's torso."

Megatron's footsteps faltered in surprise, his optics widening. He cursed loudly before charging forward, ordering his mechs to stay behind to provide backup. She shouted after him asking what was wrong and all he replied was that Wingdagger wouldn't make it out alive if she cornered him. They made it into the door leading into the central chamber and Megatron shouldered the door open. He let out a snarl as the purple mech standing in the center of the room jumped and spun around to point his gun at him.

"Shockblast!" he snarled, lowering both guns on his shoulders. "You scum, who let you out?"

The one-opticed mech in the center of the room shifted slightly before shrugging. "Let myself out," he replied before chuckling. "Aw, you came to bring me back? I didn't think you cared."

Oriona felt her protoform quake under her armor. Shockblast was in jail for trying to keep the war going even after the truce was in place. He had killed hundreds of innocent mechs and femmes in hopes of starting another uprising. Instead, he had ended up getting caught, beaten up, and dragged all the way from downtown Kaon to Autobot headquarters in Iacon. Megatron had wanted to kill him outright in front of all of the soldiers, but instead she had managed to convince him to throw him into jail to rust. She suddenly wished she had let him kill the purple mech.

She levelled her gun with his face, narrowing her optics. He glanced at her and snorted before pointing his gun at her. Megatron snarled at him before firing a shot at the other mech's feet, warning him of the death that would follow swiftly if he fired at her. Shockblast growled at them both before glancing around, twitching his antennas in outrage as he looked for an exit. Primus was glowing softly over their heads, almost as if he was asleep, and Shockblast took aim at him.

"I got him!" a voice shouted before Padlock and Wingdagger dropped from the darkness over Primus.

Both of them dropped onto Shockblast and managed to wrestle him to the ground, growling and snarling the whole way. Shockwave's shoulders vanished under both of them, almost giving Oriona a spark attack in the process. Wingdagger patted Padlock's head in approval as she tried wiggling backwards slowly, keeping her gun pressed into Shockblast's head. She managed to get halfway to her feet, most of her weight on the knee shoved into the larger mech's back. Padlock wiggled off of him, keeping his gun trained on Shockblast's head.

"Nice work," Megatron growled before stepping forward. "A little warning next time might have been better though."

Wingdagger didn't look up but she smirked anyways. Padlock turned away to smile up at Megatron and Shockblast twitched. Wingdagger let out a shout before she was sent flat on her back, her gun firing and blowing off one of Shockblast antennas. Megatron leapt forward and slammed a fist into the other mech's abdomen, only to receive a blast to the stomach, sending him sprawling on his back. Oriona fired at him and blew most of his shoulder armor off, making him howl in pain. But it didn't stop him; in a whirl of colour, he had Padlock crushed to his chest, his hand closing around his throat as his other hand, the one that bore his gun, aimed at all of them.

"One move," he snarled, "and he dies!"

Wingdagger let out a cry before aiming her gun at Shockblast's head, only to drop it as he tightened his grip on Padlock's throat. Megatron snarled at the mech, rolling weakly onto his side as he bled out of the wound in his stomach. Oriona growled before lowering her gun; she didn't trust him at all, but she wouldn't risk Padlock's life. Shockblast let out a laugh as he backed away, pointing his gun at them until he managed to back out of the room.

He threw Padlock into the room and he stumbled for a moment, his optics wide. He smiled at them in relief, stepping forward to race to Wingdagger's side. Oriona's optics widened in horror as a huge blast ripped through Padlock's chest, flying clean across the room and breaking the wall. Wingdagger let out a scream before darting forward, crying her sparkling's name before she caught him. She stared down at his greying form, begging him to hold on, too hysterical to realize that his spark casing had been blown across the room.

"Hold on, sparkling, hold on," she begged, petting his grey faceplate. "Please, just hold on."

Oriona hung her head, covering her face in horror; she should have shot him. She heard Megatron let out a pained grunt and looked over at him, finally feeling the pain leak through the bond. He was clutching the wound on his stomach, trying to stop the energon from leaking out past his fingers. He was snarling down his com link for Skywarp to get into the central chamber and get him to the medbay immediately. She ran over to him and pressed her hands over his, growling as energon leaked down her wrists.

There was a noise beside them before Skywarp materialized, placing his hands on Megatron's shoulders and nodding to her. She backed up, staring at her mate's red optics, and letting the feeling of loss flow between them. His optics saddened before he shook his head, twitching his wings as pain flared up again. Skywarp was gone with him a moment later, leaving her behind with the heavy sobs of her friend echoing around her.

She forced herself to stand up and head over to Wingdagger's side, unsure of what to do. She looked at her energon-soaked friend and internally cringed. Padlock's energon was covering her chest and legs, seeping out at a constant rate that was turning her orange armor purple. There were thundering footsteps before Starscream raced into the room. His footsteps faltered and he stopped dead, staring at his mate and dead son in disbelief.

"No," he whispered as he stumbled forward and fell down beside Wingdagger. "Oh...Dag...."

She leant on his chest, cradling Padlock's body in her arms. "I didn't...I couldn't...it's my fault...," she stuttered.

"Ssh," Starscream murmured as he held her close. "No, no it wasn't your fault; you couldn't control this."

Wingdagger sobbed into his chest and Oriona murmured a soft farewell before forcing herself to leave the room. She met up with her sons just outside the doorway; Shockblast had taken a side route and escaped. They asked her what had happened and she shook her head, shoving them back up the passageway, whispering that Wingdagger and Starscream needed to be alone. They didn't understand but listened to her request and led the way back above ground.

The other soldiers tried to ask her what had happened, but she refused to give anything away. It was not her place to say anything. She ordered an update on what happened and was not overly joyful at the news; any of the prisoners that weren't killed had escaped. She sighed before comming Ultra Magnus and telling him to get the planetary defence grid online as soon as he could; trouble was coming and fast.

She heard some of the mechs gasp and looked back at the entrance to the jail. Her spark let out a wail of despair as Wingdagger walked out with Padlock in her arms. Starscream had a hand resting on Padlock's head, his now green optics looking at the ground in front of him. Everyone backed away, murmuring soft words of comfort. Wingdagger only shook her head before taking to the sky, clutching her sparkling's shell to her chest as she headed back to base. Starscream followed her, his pace lagging behind as blue optical fluid trailed down his face.

"Everyone, head back to base," Oriona murmured before transforming. "We've got to make sure nothing like this will ever happen again."

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"He's...dead?" Thrust whispered in shock.

Sideways nodded his head sadly, staring at the purple mech that was retelling how he escaped getting caught for the fifth time. Thrust buried his face in his hands and let out a gentle sob for his sister's loss. Padlock; he had never known the little mech personally, but if he had been his sister's he must have been quite the mech. To have him snatched away so violently...it must have been tearing his sister's spark to pieces.

Because of the darkness, he couldn't sense his sister's pain. Probably a good thing, all things considered, but he would have wanted to comfort her. He owed her that much for her understanding of why he had turned against his own kind. She saw past his declaration of being Unicron's tactician and knew that he was only siding with him to be with his lover. She had encouraged him to follow his spark the whole time she had been fixing his legs, smirking as she told him that she'd always side with him first before anyone other than Starscream.

He wished her could be there for her now, even if all he could do was hold her. At least she had Starscream; she would always have Starscream. Sideways' hand travelled over his helm before he was pulled onto the mobile mech's lap.

"He is in the Matrix now; he knows no pain," he stated gently.

"How do you know?" he replied as he leant his head on his lover's chest.

"I know more than you could ever dream of," Sideways replied cryptically before leaning down to nuzzle his face into Thrust's neck. "His death was necessary; there will be one more on the way that will tear the leaders' sparks to pieces, pushing them to action."

"Must there be so much death after the war is over?" he whispered.

"Death is part of life; we must learn to accept that," Sideways replied. "But for now, sleep; I'm still siphoning energon into our bodies and we must be ready to flee at any moment."

Thrust smiled before nuzzling closer. Sideways had everything planned out; he didn't have to be afraid. As long as his partner was with him, he would be safe. He would never be alone to face the never-ending nightmare that he was trapped in. Sideways would always protect him. Always.

**Author's note:** Not much to be said other than Padlock's death was needed. You probably all know what will happen next.


	11. Death on a Wing

Chapter 11 Death on a Wing

Oriona didn't know what to do with Wingdagger anymore. She knew that it would be rocky and difficult to deal with her after the death of her sparkling, but she didn't expect this of all things to happen. She expected violence, maybe even screaming and yelling, random acts of screaming, but not what she was doing. She had withdrawn from reality almost completely.

She was distant and unresponsive, ignoring everything around her. She would stare at something on the wall for hours on end, her arms held to her chest, and rocking herself as if she were holding a sparkling. She was not interested in anything anymore, standing around as everyone made preparations for another invasion. No amount of shouting or shoving could get her to help or move.

Starscream was being affected by this immediately. He was sluggish and often lapsed into silence in the middle of a sentence, staring off into nothing. His reaction time was lower than normal, letting him get overpowered by the young recruits time and time again during training. His outlook on life took a wicked twist to where he sounded a few seconds away from suicide.

Everyone was sure that sooner or later one of them was going to snap and all hope would be lost. None of them could understand the pain of losing a sparkling, not even Oriona who had given up her sparklings; the pain was different. She ordered everyone to give the grieving mother space and to let her come out of her depression at her own pace. There was nothing any of them could do to alleviate the pain.

"Oriona," Prowl called from where she was typing at the keyboard, "we've got trouble."

"What kind?" she asked while trying to keep herself firmly planted so that Tracks would not fall while trying to repair some of the wires in the ceiling.

"Decepticons," she replied before hitting a few buttons on the keyboard. "And they're moving in fast!"

Oriona waited until Tracks had jumped down before opening her com link and ordering everyone out onto the planet's surface. She told Tracks to stay behind and help Side Swipe monitor everything, earning a soft whine from the younger femme. Prowl reproached her daughter, telling her that any order given was to be followed, no matter how much she hated it. Both of them spun around after Tracks shuffled off to stand by the younger mech and raced out of the headquarters as fast as they could. Prowl smiled sadly before sighing that Tracks got her attitude from her father, to which Oriona let out a sad laugh; she missed her cousins terribly.

They passed Wingdagger on the way, the mourning femme showing some recognition in her optics. She asked what was happening, wondering why everyone was running around. Prowl told her that the newly freed Decepticons were attacking. Wingdagger's red optics flashed before she asked if Shockblast was amongst the mechs attacking. Prowl confessed that she did not know who exactly was attacking the planet, only that they were.

"I'm coming with you," Wingdagger stated without hesitation. "I'll take Shockblast's life before he even has a chance to snatch another innocent being from this planet."

Oriona was slightly worried about the look of murder in her friend's optics, but she held her glossa. She told her to follow close before they continued down the hallway. When they got outside, Wingdagger took to the air immediately, flipping herself around Thundercracker as he flew down to meet her. They preformed a customary Seeker greeting-dance in midair before flipping over to blast off to where laser were ripping across the sky.

Oriona and Prowl transformed and took off after the Seekers, speeding through the deserted streets. They split up when lasers started shooting at them, Prowl charging head on into another mech while Oriona skirted the group of mechs fighting with each other. She wanted a bit of height on her opponents before she would fight them, just so that she had the element of surprise and did not end up having to get saved. She managed to find a building that had gotten the windows broken and hid inside, waiting with her gun out to catch a Decepticon off guard.

She smirked as one ran by seconds after she slipped past the door. She slunk after him for a few steps before lunging and tackling him to the ground. She spun her gun around and pistol whipped the mech unconscious; just because she use to be the Autobot leader didn't mean she was above fighting dirty. When you're half everyone's height for most of your life, you learn how to bring the offenders down to your level quickly. She scuttled off the moment she heard others coming, crouching down in the shadows of another building to avoid detection.

"Definitely Oriona's work," a mech laughed.

"That had to hurt," another laughed.

"Poor sucker," another one agreed.

She peeked out and sighed with relief; it was Wheeljack, Hot Shot, and Blur. She slipped out of her hiding spot and slipped up beside Hot Shot, earning a squawk of surprise from her son as she leant on him. She requested an update on what was happening and Blur told her that apart from causing a lot of property damage, the Decepticons were running around like idiots doing nothing. She told them to keep their senses sharp and to let her know the instant the Decepticons actually started acting like they were attacking. She then turned and set off at a brisk trot to see if there was anyone with different information.

There was almost no fighting going on, even with all of the Decepticons in the air shooting at them. Whenever one of their men got close to the flying buffoons, they took off cackling like idiots. It would seem that they got lessons from Snowcat. Starscream radioed in to report that he had spotted some Decepticons moving towards the refineries, but the moment they had caught sight of him they turned and fled back to the main fight. They wanted to slip away without anyone noticing so that they wouldn't have to struggle to collect the energon without Scorponok's Terrorcons.

"Hey!" she heard someone shout from behind her. "What is she doing?! Wingdagger! You're going to get yourself killed!"

She looked up and saw her friend making a beeline for something hovering in front of one of the huge towers native to Iacon. She thought her friend had finally snapped and was going to commit suicide, until she saw the purple figure firing on the mechs below; Shockblast had finally made his appearance. Oriona felt a twinge of fear go through her spark as Shockblast spotted Wingdagger. She heard him shout something at her and Wingdagger's reaction was to snarl and speed up.

They collided in mid air, tumbling end over end while exchanging blows. The Cybertronians on the ground were cheering Wingdagger on, snarling at Shockblast each time he tried to shoot her off of him. They broke apart for a few minutes, circling each other and shooting insults at each other. Shockblast charged at her and caught her around the middle, only to receive a furious pummelling as Wingdagger retaliated. She was screaming with fury, her optics ablaze with more hatred than Oriona thought Cybertron-ally possible.

They were tumbling around in the air for another few minutes, their armor dented from the number of punches landed. Wingdagger had even gone so low to kick and scratch the much larger mech whenever she got the chance, spitting in his optic to make him howl. The Decepticons had long since retreated, chased away by the Seekers that had taken Wingdagger's distraction as a signal to attack, leaving Shockblast all by himself. The deranged mech let out a snarl as the two of them broke away, his head spinning around violently as he searched for his comrades. He let out a shout of "cowards" before turning to take off.

Wingdagger lunged and one of the daggers hidden inside her wrist compartment stabbed into Shockblast's back. He howled in pain before twisting around in an attempt to dislodge her as she stabbed her other dagger into his back. He fired his cannon off several times, tearing the tower behind them apart. The top of the tower tipped towards them, letting out an audio-shattering rumble as it twisted around. Wingdagger looked up as the shadow engulfed her, letting out a scream of terror before both she and Shockblast were struck by it.

Shockblast's back was torn open as her daggers slid down. He used the chance to break away from her, the daggers firmly lodged in his back as he flew away. Energon was cascading out of his wounds, but he only laughed as the tower smashed into Cybertron's surface, trapping Wingdagger beneath. Oriona let out a scream of denial as Shockblast fired once at the rubble.

"That'll teach you, you miserable glitch!" he shouted before turning and flying away, energon falling from him in globs.

"WINGDAGGER!" Starscream's voice shattered the surrounding air before he dove out of the sky towards the fallen tower. "NO!"

Oriona was racing across the ground, her spark hammering in her chest as tears built up in her optics. Wingdagger had to survive, she couldn't be dead. It was Dag, nothing took her out, nothing killed her, nothing. The other Seekers had already landed by the time she got there, digging desperately through the rubble, screaming their fallen comrade's name. Oriona started hauling away chunks of metal, screaming her friend's name at the top of her intakes. Tears were blurring her vision, the panic of the others around her making her dig that much faster. She could hear the other ground-based mechs arrive behind her, shouting to one another to start digging.

Starscream let out a long trailing keen of pain, drawing everyone's attention. Oriona couldn't remember what happened first, her dragging herself over to Starscream or him hauling Wingdagger's grey form out of the rubble. The whole area became dead silent, the sight of the offlined femme in Starscream's arms chilling everyone to the core. Her body was crushed from the force of the impact and only Starscream's arms kept her back from snapping in half. Oriona let out a weak whimper before she collapsed against Starscream's side, her hand resting on her friend's chest in a desperate attempt to find a spark pulse below the grey armor.

"She's dead," Starscream whispered before he pulled her body closer, hiding his face in his mate's neck. "Wingdagger...no.... NO!"

He tipped his head back and a loud keen of agony split the air. Thundercracker let out a soft, shaky sob before his keen joined his cousin's, his lower and deeper than Starscream's. Skywarp let out a wailing keen from where he had collapsed on the ground, shaking his head in denial at the sight of his trinemate's mate's dead body. The other Seekers started adding their own keens into the mourning song, each one different from the rest.

A Seeker's keen represented the pain they felt over someone's passing; it was hard to tell to someone inexperienced, but each mech and femme was saying something different in their keen. Thundercracker was crying "friend", Skywarp "comrade", and Starscream was crying "mate". Oriona wished that she could keen with Starscream, but she lacked the ability to. She didn't have the right voice box to make the sounds necessary to make an appropriate keen.

Her antennas perked curiously as another keen joined in with the rest, deep and vibrating the very air. She looked up and gawked at her mate as Megatron tilted his head to the sky and repeated "sister" over and over again. His voice, though deep, did not overpower Starscream's, but Oriona felt her mate's pain over the loss of her friend. He had considered Wingdagger his sister because of how close she and Oriona were; Oriona closed her optics and silently thanked her mate for voicing her pain.

She wasn't sure how long it was until the keening finally stopped, each Seeker quivering with barely contained sobs. She looked around and saw every other mech and femme had their heads bowed in respect as Starscream cradled his mate's corpse to his chest, placing kisses along her shattered frame in farewell.

"May the winds carry your spark to the Matrix," he whispered before pressing his face into Wingdagger's neck. "And may your wings never lose their freedom. Goodbye, Wingdagger; I will miss you."

"Goodbye, Wingdagger," Oriona whispered before she rested a hand on her friend's shoulder, bowing her head as more tears threatened to fall. "You were the best friend anyone could ask for. Rest peacefully and say hello to Padlock, the Twins, and Ironhide for me."

Starscream stood up, holding his mate's frame tightly to his, before he took to the air and made his way slowly back to base. Oriona stood up rubbing her optics, sniffling as the others started to head back to base. She felt a presence nearby and looked around curiously, wondering who was making her spinal unit prickle. She spotted a huge red mech standing on top of one of the buildings and rage bubbled through her fuel lines.

Megatron, who was about to take off, paused at the sensation of her fury down the bond. He turned to see what was wrong, spotted the mech as well, and let out a snarl of outrage. Skywarp didn't even need an order to teleport over to the mech, grab him by the throat, and throw him as hard as he could off the building. Oriona bolted forward and slammed the mech into a building as he stood up, punching him repeatedly.

"You fragger!" she screamed. "You fragger! This is all your fault!"

"How...ow! Is this...sonnovaglitch, slag off! My fault?" the mech demanded between attempts to dodge her blows.

"You let Shockblast out!" she snarled before punching him again, relishing in his grunts of pain. "You're the reason Padlock's dead. You're the reason Wingdagger's dead. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THAT MY BEST FRIEND IT DEAD!"

The mech let out a grunt before giving her a hard shove that made her stumble. He made to lunge at her, only to find himself pinned by Megatron as the much larger mech moved in to protect his mate. He let out a low growl of warning as the red mech tried to reach his gun, tightening his grip on the other's neck to keep him still. There were several loud thuds before Oriona shied against her mate's body, staring at the two massive mechs that had their guns turned on them.

"Lower your weapons," Megatron growled before his shoulder guns were pointing at the red mech's head. "Or Hot Rod's head will be no more."

Springer let out an angry growl, refusing to listen to Megatron. The other mech, however, lowered his weapon obediently. He smiled at Cybertron's leaders before patting Springer's shoulder.

"Drop it, young one," he chuckled. "Rodimus has no more power over us in the presence of Cybertron's leaders."

"How can you say that?" Springer demanded, turning on the smaller mech with outrage in his optics. "You left Cybertron to follow Rodimus, now you claim not to? Are you as treacherous as Prowl?"

The older mech laughed before shaking his head. "You're duty and loyalty should be to Cybertron above all else, Springer," he replied before nodding to Oriona and Megatron. "These two are our leaders; obey them."

Springer stared at the older mech in disbelief before letting out a strangled noise and crossing his arms over his chest. Oriona and Megatron exchanged a grin before giving Rodimus a smug look; Landmine always did like them best. Rodimus looked ready to explode with fury, grinding his dental bands together until Megatron slammed him into the building again.

"I'll make you a deal, Rodimus," Megatron sneered. "Get us an audience with this Alpha-Q character and I'll let you live."

Rodimus struggled against him for a moment before growling. "Good luck with that; he doesn't see anyone at anytime unless it is to give him energon."

Megatron smirked before tightening his grip, making the other mech gag. "Well, you'll just have to convince him, won't you?" he sneered before tossing him to Springer. "Take the message to Alpha-Q. Remember, if you don't get the audience as I requested, you will suffer."

Springer caught Rodimus and the glare the two leaders received was enough to display their disgust. Landmine told the two of them to get moving; he was staying behind to help the planet recover from Wingdagger's passing. They watched the two mechs turn and head off Cybertron and Oriona had the sensation of a hand running over her cheek before a ghostly mech took off after the other two.

"Did...did anyone else...?" she whispered as she shuffled closer to her mate.

"You'll be seeing more of him soon," Landmine grunted before shaking his head. "I'm not sure who he is, but he was recreated by Alpha-Q to terminate Galvatron; he failed miserably."

"That explains a lot," Megatron grumbled before wrapping an arm protectively around Oriona's waist. "Come on; we'd better go make sure Starscream hasn't killed anyone." He shook his head sadly. "This is going to be a huge blow to moral."

Oriona couldn't help but agree. Her spark would break many more times before it could heal from the loss.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"G-gone?" Thrust whimpered before twisting himself away from where Rodimus was standing just beyond his shadow prison. "NO! No, not Wingdagger!"

"Calm down," Sideways murmured, gripping his shoulders tightly. "Thrust, calm down."

Thrust let out a loud keen of anguish, hiding his face in his hands as he sobbed. His sister was dead, gone, and Sideways expected him to calm down?! This idiot obviously knew nothing about a Seeker's ties to the ones closest to them! He hadn't even been able to try to defend his sister, to help her the same way she had helped him. His pride use to stand in his way, now he was trapped within Unicron's body. He shook his head angrily as he continued to keen, ignoring everyone's demands for him to shut up.

The ghost, even though he was a Seeker model as well, snarled at him to hold his breath. Wingdagger, according to him, was not worth his keening. Thrust let out a vicious snarl before launching himself at the light beyond his prison. His fingertips just brushed the light before the powerful grip on his legs sucked him backwards, making him yowl in fright. The free mechs laughed at his struggles until Sideways let out a low snarl to silence them.

He rested a hand on Thrust's shoulder, whispering that everything was going to be alright. He reminded the distressed Seeker that she no longer felt any pain and was safe. Thrust couldn't argue with that logic, no matter how much it pained him to think that his sister was gone. He let out a low keen before twisting himself around to curl up against Sideways' leg.

There was shouting in the hallway before Shockblast stormed in, energon still streaming down his back where Wingdagger's daggers were embedded. He demanded to know why they had retreated when they had almost reached the energon refineries. Alpha-Q replied that they didn't have the resources to keep waiting for them to get off their afts and reach the energon. Shockblast let out a snarl before aiming his gun at Alpha-Q, snarling that he was going to be in command from now on.

Thrust watched in surprise as Alpha-Q separated from the cord on his back and fled the chamber. Shockblast roared and chased after him, snarling that he would kill him. Sideways told Thrust to stay put ("Like I can do anything else?") before he raced after the pair, his body fading away the moment he left the shadows.

Rodimus turned to Springer and told him to find Arcee as quickly as he could; they were heading back to Cybertron. Springer demanded to know what he was planning and he replied that he'd catch up after he made sure Alpha-Q survived. Thrust looked at the ghost mech as he chased after Rodimus, wondering how on Cybertron they expected to stop Shockblast. The mech had always been insane.

He felt a rumble along his legs and looked around him in surprise. It felt like Unicron was splitting in half! But that couldn't happen, could it? He felt the shaking increase and immediately covered his head, yelping in fear; he was such a coward. He became aware of shouting seconds before Shockblast burst back into the room, snarling and punching the walls. Sideways appeared behind him and slipped quickly over to Thrust's cowering frame.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"Alpha-Q split Unicron's head from his body," he whispered in reply.

"How?" he gasped.

Sideways shook his head before pressing his hand to Thrust's faceplate, glaring out at Shockblast as he stormed around the antechamber. Thrust gripped his lover's hand before asking what was going to happen now. Sideway's pet his helm reassuringly before replying that their plans didn't change; he was still collecting as much energon as he could from Unicron's body. If all went well, they would escape with fully formed bodies.

**Author's note:** Sorry for the wait, everyone! Kinda had computer problems; A.K.A dad had the computer all week because mom was out of town. Anyways, not much happening here other than Wingdagger dying. I was almost in tears writing it XD i'm so pathetic.


	12. Negotiations

Chapter 12 Negotiations

Oriona blinked in surprise as Springer and Arcee stood in front of her, both looking extremely nervous. Not that she really blamed them considering they had been fighting against each other for the past few months. It would have been more awkward if a tiny figure wasn't clinging to Arcee's leg and staring up at her and Megatron with a curious, fearful stare. Oriona elbowed her mate before nodding her head towards the sparkling that was staring at them.

"Who's the little one?" he asked without prompting, leaning forward slightly to get a better look.

Arcee smiled fondly down at the little mech as he whimpered and scooted closer to her leg. She knelt down and stroked his head gently, murmuring that they weren't going to hurt him. Oriona smiled to encourage him to come out of hiding. He blinked his huge blue optics at her before timidly stepping away from Arcee's leg. His pale orange plating glimmered in the lights of the command center before he shifted nervously and smiled weakly at them.

"Momma says to go play; Wheelie makes friends today?" he almost sang out.

Oriona and Megatron looked at each other in surprise while the others in the command center whispered amongst themselves. Arcee admitted that he was going through an odd phase where everything he said had to come out in rhymes. She wasn't sure why he was doing it, but he refused to speak in any other way. Oriona smiled before looking down at the little one.

"Well, if just proves that he's smarter than the average sparkling," she stated before cooing to him.

Wheelie nodded happily before clapping his hands. "Wheelie is very smart; CPU surely won't fall apart," he chimed.

Megatron chuckled before sitting down on the ground. He was still tall even when sitting, but his spark was in the right place; he wanted to appear less intimidating to the small mech. Wheelie gave him a sceptical look before slowly approaching, his head turned slightly so that the beak of his helmet was pointing down over his face. Megatron smiled gently as the sparkling stood beside his leg, reaching out slowly to pet his helm.

Oriona smirked at the exchange; Megatron was surprisingly gentle for all of his proclaimed cruelties. Wheelie let out a soft whirl of contentment before crawling onto Megatron's leg and crawled slowly up to his chest. Megatron's arm steadied him the whole way, murmuring encouragements before Wheelie was snuggled against his chest. Megatron wrapped an arm around Wheelie and the sparkling vanished from sight, giggling as Megatron held him close.

"Aw, and you said you'd make a horrible daddy," Oriona teased.

"This isn't my sparkling now is it?" Megatron asked before Wheelie's head popped up from around his arm. "And where do you think you're going?"

Wheelie giggled before wiggling his way up onto Megatron's shoulder, smiling at everyone as they let out soft chuckles. Arcee had relaxed after she was sure Megatron wasn't going to hurt the sparkling and explained that he was almost seven thousand and was already a promising soldier. Springer commented that shooting people with his slingshot did not constitute a promising soldier. Arcee didn't have time to snap a reply before a loud squeal sliced through the air.

Everyone looked up in shock before Bluestreak sprinted in from the hallway and snatched Wheelie up. She spun away from Megatron while cuddling Wheelie to her chest, squealing about how much she missed him. Arcee laughed shakily before shaking her head, pressing a hand over her spark as she muttered about younglings. Wheelie let out a small whine about getting dizzy before Bluestreak finally stopped spinning.

"Did you miss me, Wheelie?" she asked as she cuddled him.

"Hugs from Auntie Bluestreak I'll always try to sneak," he replied before hugging her.

Bluestreak smiled before hugging him tighter, cooing happily as her sister shook her head. Prowl greeted Arcee with a hug, telling her it was good to see her again. Arcee's face looked pinched as she replied that it was good to see an old comrade again, not that the statement left any affect on Prowl. The other femme merely nodded and smiled before greeting Springer. He responded with a snippy remark about traitors to which she just laughed at. If there was one thing about Springer that you could trust it was that he always told you just what he thought of you. He was definitely one of Hot Rod―Rodimus'―old friends that Oriona actually liked.

Megatron stood up behind Oriona and rested a hand on her shoulder as Springer shot her a quick look. He wasn't feeling comfortable around mechs he normally would have started shooting at during the war. If he was planning on sticking around after Rodimus got back, he was going to have to get use to it anyways. She returned the look with a raised optic ridge and he looked away immediately, muttering under his breath about something she didn't catch.

"Is there no one in this base that does not take orders from that snivelling femme?!" Rodimus' voice snarled before he stormed into the room, his optics alive with hatred.

"I hope you aren't referring to me, brother," Oriona stated calmly.

"Of course I'm referring to you," he spat before throwing his arm out beside him. "How the slag does a worthless femme like you manage to keep everyone here wrapped around your finger? Do you 'face every mech here into your berth every other day?"

Oriona's face contorted in outrage before Megatron's grip tightened on her shoulder. "She doesn't have to assert her dominance that way, Rodimus," he stated coldly before he tilted his head. "But it's obvious how you go about it; like an organic beast in heat, are we?"

Rodimus let out a snarl of fury before stepping forward, only to find several guns trained on him. Megatron smirked before commenting that he was in over his head again; the base obeyed Oriona and his orders without a second thought. Rodimus growled before remaining still, his optics swivelling around to focus on Bluestreak and Wheelie as the gunner pointed her gun at him. He glared at Arcee and growled that she had better have a good explanation as to why their sparkling was being held by a traitor.

"Oh," Oriona commented before looking at Wheelie, "poor thing has you for a father."

Rodimus let out a furious snarl before the whole room broke out in laughter. He stared around the room in shock as even Springer let out a snicker before covering his mouth and looking away. The large red mech seemed shocked that he had no position of power in the command center. He growled once before straightening himself and glaring at Megatron.

"Alpha-Q has agreed to meet with you," he grit out between clenched dental bands. "He's waiting in Unicron's head for our arrival."

Oriona nodded before looking up at Megatron. She wanted Starscream to come with them, just so he had something to think of other than the corpse of his mate awaiting burial in Vos. He had not left her side for a moment, his optics so distant it was hard to think he was still alive. Thundercracker and Skywarp had told everyone to leave him alone for a little while, that he needed time to say good-bye to his mate. Oriona wasn't a Seeker so she couldn't even begin to guess if making him tag along would be good for him. But, if Megatron's solemn nod was any indication, he thought it was.

He activated his com-link to get in touch with Starscream, speaking in a low voice so that the others couldn't hear him. She caught small phrases like "good for you" and "time to heal", but she couldn't be sure if what he was saying was helpful or just making things worse. He turned towards Rodimus and snorted that they were waiting for Starscream to arrive before they left; he would be accompanying them.

"Didn't he just lose his mate?" Rodimus snorted. "Doesn't that _Seeker_ need time to grieve?"

"All due respect, Rodimus," Starscream's voice croaked out as said Seeker walked through the doors, "you are in no position to be making any judgement on what Seekers do."

"Are you sure you want to come along?" Oriona asked as she walked over and hugged him. "Don't feel like you have to, Starscream."

"I appreciate your concern, Paxy," Starscream replied softly with forced teasing in his voice, "but I'll be alright. Dag...wouldn't want me crying over her when we still have one sparkling left to protect."

Oriona sighed softly; this was the good ol' logical Starscream. He was clawing for any form of stability and being with Megatron, who still had his mate and was not about to go insane, would keep him from plunging off the deep end. Megatron Walked forward and politely ("Get your useless aft in gear,") asked Rodimus to open a space bridge into Alpha-Q's residence. Rodimus was about to agree when he spotted Scorponok standing quietly off to the side petting one of her Terrorcons as it wound around her legs.

"She's coming too," he stated simply, pointing at Scorponok and making her jump. "Alpha-Q requested her presence."

"If she's going, so am I!" Ironhide snarled without hesitation, taking a half step in front of Scorponok.

"Don't even think about leaving me behind!" Kicker piped up, leaping to his feet from where he had been slouching against the wall.

Oriona looked at Megatron and saw that he was almost as annoyed as she was. He growled that they had better keep up before glaring at Rodimus and telling him to open the space bridge. The red mech snorted before the huge purple vortex appeared behind him. He gave an unnecessary order for them to follow him before he turned and vanished into the space bridge, missing Oriona's glossa as she stuck it out at his back.

Megatron led the way through the vortex, grunting slightly as his wings just clipped the edges of the allotted size. He made the comment to Rodimus that he should have made a larger hole to fit the bigger mechs so it wasn't such a tight squeeze. Rodimus threw back that he should have been use to tight squeezes, which earned a snort of laughter from all of the mechs, including Kicker. Oriona only groaned before shaking her head; only a mech would bring up interfacing at a time like this.

They stepped out of the vortex and Oriona was almost sick with recognition of where they were. The half-organic, half-metallic walls pressed in on them and she was almost tempted to cling to Megatron's backside. However, considering her brother was giving her a hard time over the fact that she was a femme commander, she wasn't about to cave into such silly fears. She walked behind Megatron the whole way into the antechamber within Unicron, aware of the subtle twitch of her mate's wings; he wasn't happy to be back here either.

They walked into the antechamber and stopped dead at the sight of the mech before them. He was horrible disfigured, hunched over and scuttling back and forth. It stopped when it heard them and several laughs echoed around the room as the mech held his hands in front of him.

"Oh good, you've finally arrived!" a high-pitched voice proclaimed.

"We really do hate waiting," another voice snapped.

"But we can forgive you because you brought Scorponok back to us," yet another voice pointed out.

Scorponok shuddered before huddling closer to Ironhide. The mech before them, Alpha-Q, obviously had not been expecting such a reaction and stilled from shock. There was a loud whooshing noise before all the voices started shouting at once, the figure before them visibly trembling with pent up anger. He demanded to know if Ironhide was the one that kidnapped their Scorponok and CPU-washed her. Ironhide let out a low growl before wrapping his arms around Scorponok's back and drawing her closer.

"If there's anyone doin' the CPU-washing, it's you!" he spat in return as Scorponok let out a thin whimper.

"Enough of this," Megatron snarled before stepping forward. "There are more pressing issues than who gets to keep the femme!"

Oriona looked at him and received a "shut up" look before she nodded. "Why are you trying to bring Unicron back to life?" she asked. "We had a hard enough time stopping him from destroying Cybertron ten stellar cycles ago."

Alpha-Q turned to regard her and clicked his claws together as if thinking of how to word everything. He explained that while Unicron could destroy anything and everything he chose to, he also had the capacity to create anything. Like her odd ability to somehow reformat the dying sparks that she had come in contact with, Unicron could create a new planet out of the ones he devoured. If they had enough energon to revive Unicron, they could recreate all the worlds that the Chaos Bringer destroyed.

Oriona felt her antennas twitch in irritation; did this mech truly believe it was that simple? She had met Unicron and there was no way something as flimsy and insane as Alpha-Q could ever dream of controlling him. Even without Alpha-Q's rambling, she could feel bits of the Chaos Bringer stir under her feet, making her twitch slightly in surprise. She didn't like calling people names, but Alpha-Q was a fool if he honestly thought he could control Unicron.

"But there is a small, temporary glitch in the plan," Alpha-Q admitted before he started pacing. "Shockblast has forced me to separate Unicron's head from his body; he is now in command of the body while we're stuck in his head!"

Oriona and Megatron stared at each other in shock and dread; this was definitely not good. Megatron demanded to know why he would let the dangerous criminals free from their prison and had not expected them to turn on him. Alpha-Q merely fidgeted before replying that he wanted followers that hated Cybertron's leaders in hopes to bind them to his cause. Even Scorponok snorted at the mech's stupidity.

"Rodimus should have known better," Starscream snarled, his wings quivering. "He knew what Shockblast was like! It's because he chose to keep his trap shut for once that...." His optics snapped shut before his whole body was racked by dry sobs.

Rodimus' optics narrowed before he snarled that Shockblast was the more capable of the ones released. He wasn't afraid to take drastic action to ensure their survival, unlike some Cybertronians he knew. Surprisingly, it was Scorponok that snarled at the mech and asked if he needed his CPU knocked back into place. She spat at him that Shockblast was insane and could not be trusted with anything beyond killing helpless mechs and femmes.

Rodimus snarled that the ones who were killed should have stayed out of the way. No one moved fast enough to stop Starscream from lunging and taking the larger mech to the ground, howling with fury as the insult hit home. Starscream started punching Rodimus senseless, snarling about insulting his family when they couldn't defend themselves, his optics wild with outrage and hatred. Alpha-Q was waving his arms around and skittering across the ground, wailing for Starscream to stop beating him up and to be sensible. Megatron sprang forward and hauled his SIC off of the red mech, growling at him to control himself before he ended up doing something he'd regret.

Starscream allowed himself to be dragged away, but not before giving Rodimus one last kick. He stood still as Megatron released him, staring down at Rodimus' abused body with fury smouldering in his optics. Oriona rested a hand on the distraught Seeker's arm and gave him a worried look when he turned his optics to her.

"Don't worry about me," he grumbled before looking away. "I just lost control for a moment."

She nodded, knowing that it was more than he was letting on. She wasn't going to force him to talk though if he didn't want to; she wasn't about to sign a death warrant. She looked over at Alpha-Q and told him flat out that his plan was suicide and insane. Unicron would never be controlled by anyone, especially not the one who was currently using him as a home and had separated his head from his body.

"Oriona's right," Megatron stated coldly. "You are a fool, Alpha-Q, to be even considering such a task. We should be working to destroy Unicron, not bring him back online to watch him destroy the universe!"

Alpha-Q clicked his claws for a moment before scuttling around. "We need to bring him back online to save the planets that were consumed," he replied with a soft whine. "There's no other way to do it."

"What's the big deal?" Kicker demanded with a growl. "The planets were destroyed; you should just leave them that way."

"Not everything that was destroyed should be left that way," Alpha-Q stated in a new voice. "Sometimes, something that was thought to be lost returned. It did not look the same, but it was the same thing that was lost. Unicron must be energized in order to create new planets. If we cannot refuel both halves of Unicron's body, then we will energize the head alone."

Oriona looked at Megatron and saw that he looked annoyed. She hoped he wasn't about to say anything stupid, only for her mouth to fall open in shock as Megatron agreed to what Alpha-Q proposed.

"If we supply you with the energon you need to bring Unicron online to the point where you can start building plants," he stated simply before narrowing his optics, "will you take it into deep space to see if you can control him?"

"Of course," Alpha-Q replied, nodding his head. "I understand how important your planet is to you, Megatron, and I am sorry for the hardship we put you through prior to our meeting. We were as blind to our goal as you were to yours during the war."

Megatron's optics narrowed before he looked at Oriona, his plan already transmitting down the bond. She did not approve of double-crossing the mech, but considering they couldn't trust his word yet, she understood her mate's reluctance to actually help him. The plan was to give him energon that would be attracted to the energon already residing within Unicron's body. When the head rammed into the body, it would cause an explosion that would not only destroy Unicron, but hopefully all the murderers within. Megatron and Starscream, who somehow already knew what his friend was planning, started to make arrangement for Scorponok to drop off the Terrorcons that would have the energon to power Unicron.

Oriona grumbled that she couldn't believe Megatron was agreeing to this even after she disagreed. Rodimus sneered that at least one of Cybertron's leaders had a CPU and it took everything she had not to send him into next week. She was about to growl at him to shut his mouth before she busted his nose, again, when her com link went off.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she pressed her com link and looked away from her brother to focus.

"Unicron's headless body is attacking!" Kup shouted down the com link as sirens wailed beyond him. "We need to organize an attack, now!"

"Get in contact with Earth and tell all of the soldiers there to get their afts to Cybertron to defend it," she ordered, opening a link with Megatron so he knew what was going on. "I want a strike team ready to head into Unicron to take him out from within."

"Ground-pounders and Seekers," Megatron ordered. "I want anyone that knows how to work with Seekers on that team. Get the biggest and most powerful weapons on those soldiers."

"Will do," Kup replied before sighing. "I'm getting to old for this slag."

"Aren't we all?" Megatron asked before cutting the link. "Scorponok, go with Ironhide to collect the energon for Alpha-Q; we'll get that out of the way now so we can fight without worry."

"Of course," she replied before she and Ironhide nodded to each other.

Scorponok opened a space bridge back to Cybertron, not even giving Alpha-Q a departing glance. Ironhide motioned for Kicker to follow before he stepped in after Scorponok, lingering long enough for the human to slip by him. Megatron ordered Starscream to follow him before Oriona requested Alpha-Q to open a passage out of Unicron for them. The ground opened up under their feet and Oriona promptly yelped as she tumbled downwards. Megatron's arms wrapped tightly around her waist before he flew through the hole at a controlled rate rather than her doomed descent.

"You really need to learn how to fly," he teased before nuzzling her. "Everything's going to be alright."

"I know," she replied before pressing her face into his chest. "I just wish we didn't have to betray him. He's a good mech, just misguided."

"Solitude does that to you," he snorted before they exited into space. "Unicron's body's right there; how convenient."

She couldn't help but agree with him as she stared at the steadily growing planet-sized Transformer. Maybe if they were finally able to destroy him for good he would cease being such a problem. It frustrated her to no end that he just wouldn't die; at least Megatron's plan should work. Hopefully.

**Author's note:** Wow, I was amazed by just how many people hated me for killing Wingdagger XD Well, I hope I made up for it with all of the Rodimus beatings that happened in this chapter. Next, the battle inside of Unicron!...this seems to be a reoccurring theme with my writings of late.


	13. Regaining the Wings

Chapter 13 Regaining The Wings

Oriona hung on tightly to Megatron as they skimmed over the surface of Unicron's armor, darting around laserfire as the Decepticons tried shooting at them. Starscream disposed of them easily enough before flying up beside them, his green optics narrowed in concentration. They flew on until they spotted the Autobot insignia flashing from the ground level and swooped in.

Flamewar saluted immediately, her optics narrowed in anger. "Megatron, Oriona," she greeted before shouldering her sword. "We've got more Decepticon traitors running around here than Scorponok has Terrorcons."

Oriona sighed as she was set down, rubbing her head in annoyance. Megatron growled before ordering them into two separate groups, one to deal with the traitors on the surface and the other to follow him underground. Flamewar was in charge of the above ground group consisting of Snowcat, Hound, Inferno, and Kup. Going underground were Megatron, Oriona, Hot Shot, Side Swipe, Demolisher, Mirage, and Starscream. They wished each other good luck before splitting up and looking for their assignments.

Megatron and Starscream started sweeping back and forth in search of an entry point into Unicron's body. Oriona led the ground team around in search for a similar entrance, each one of them scanning every last inch of armoured plating. Mirage was the first to spot a potential opening, shouting for them to join her. The opening was rather small, a tight squeeze for a Seeker, but the rest of them could have wiggled through. Megatron and Demolisher offered to widen the gap but Side Swipe pointed out that it would only alert Unicron to their presence.

Mirage slipped through first, wiggling a bit to get her armor to fit into the relatively small space. She commented that all of the mechs should look away so that she could save herself some dignity now that her legs her left sticking out. Megatron and Starscream snorted with laughter before looking away, motioning for the others to do the same. Even Oriona offlined her optics to give the other femme some privacy. There was a soft thud on the other side of the opening before Mirage commented that there was a small drop to the tunnel inside, her voice echoing a bit as it bounced off the walls.

Hot Shot went next, sliding in sideways and sucking in his "tummy" so that he could fit. He still wound up getting stuck and needing Side Swipe to push on him while Mirage tugged on his other arm. When he did get unstuck, he went flying into the tunnel and landed on top of Mirage, earning a strangled snarl of disgust from the much smaller femme. Side Swipe wiggled in after his brother, having a much easier time and managed to not land on either of the other two as they continued to struggle in an attempt to get up.

Demolisher struggled to get in next, attempting to crawl in. He ended up getting stuck at his hips, cursing and struggling while giving the last three left outside a good laugh. Megatron gave him a swift kick in the aft when he asked for some assistance, squeaking that wasn't what he meant after he was propelled inside. Starscream slipped in next, wiggling a little bit to make sure his wings weren't getting scraped on the walls. He made it in without any incident, snickering slightly when he called in a stage whisper that Hot Shot and Mirage looked so gorgeous together on the floor.

"After you," Oriona sighed before smirking at Megatron's confused look. "You saw the trouble the other's had; you're going to need all the help you can get to fit in there, fatty."

He glared at her before grumbling that it was all armor, not unnecessary wiring. He crouched down beside the opening and managed to get his left arm and leg in before getting stuck. He demanded to know if the Universe was against him before starting to wiggle angrily to get in. She snickered before walking over and shoving her shoulder into his chest, commenting that he needed to lay off the energon goodies. His response was to squeeze her aft slightly to make her yelp in surprise.

He smirked triumphantly down at her before she started shoving harder. He ducked his head down before mentioning that he was starting to move again, managing to fit his head into the opening. He called to the others to move aside so that when he fell he wouldn't land on them. Oriona kept pushing until both of them were a good ways into the opening. She was about to pull away so that he could wiggle the last leg of the journey, when Megatron suddenly tipped downwards.

She squeaked in surprise before they tumbled out of the opening and onto the ground. She smacked her face onto his chest as she landed spread-eagle on him, making her groan in pain. Megatron grumbled slightly about his wing getting snapped off before he let out a low whistle.

"This would be a very nice position if you hadn't gotten energon all over my chest from your broken nose," he commented with a teasing purr.

"Slag off," she grumbled before she managed to sit up, pressing a hand to her face to stop the energon flow. "At least I didn't get stuck."

"Here, let me see," Starscream sighed before walking over and pulling her hand away.

He tipped her head back to assess the damage, touching the length of her nose before nodding his head. He told her that she had only ruptured a small energon line on the interior of her nose; it would stop bleeding in a few moments when her internal repair system started up. She rubbed away the access energon before standing up to let Megatron get his feet back under him. He looked around once before snorting and telling everyone to stay close.

They moved down the hallway with their guns out, taking time to check to make sure the coast was clear before moving on. Starscream kept stopping and looking around, muttering that he could feel something heading for them before shaking his head and continuing on. Mirage asked him if he was positive he felt someone and he replied that he could just _feel_ their approach. Megatron twitched his wings before telling him to monitor it and warn them before they were ambushed. Starscream nodded before stilling, lifting his head up and hissing at them to stop.

"We've got someone else coming!" he hissed before sidestepping into the shadows before yelping and leaping out again. "THE SLAG?!"

Oriona looked where he had been standing and frowned as she saw a hazy outline of a Seeker sitting there. She blinked several times until Starscream's mouth fell open and he let out a choked gag.

"Thrust?!" he gasped.

The hazy outline waved weakly before looking at the lighted part of the hallway. He pointed at it before reaching forward, his fingertips extending out of the shadows. Thrust's familiar gun-tipped fingers emerged before retracting as if they had been burned. Starscream squatted down in front of the shadows and demanded to know what was happening and hwy he was there. She couldn't hear the replies, but Starscream's optics kept narrowing before he growled.

"We have to get going," he stated before standing up. "Shockblast's in the antechamber attempting to control Unicron."

"What's Thrust doing here?" Side Swipe asked, frowning at the hazy outline.

"He's trapped within Unicron," Starscream replied before sighing. "He'll share Unicron's fate until he can get enough energon to remake his body."

Oriona looked at the hazy outline and nodded. "Come on."

Thrust nodded before they all turned and continued down the hallway. No one spoke the entire way, too focused on the fact that destroying Unicron would ultimately destroy another life. Thrust may have fused with Unicron willingly, but it was only to be with his lover; Oriona couldn't bring herself to hate him. They stopped outside of the antechamber and listened to the mech inside howl with rage. Starscream whispered that he could feel the presence from before growing steadily closer before Megatron gave the order to attack.

They all surged into the room, their guns firing rapidly at Shockblast as he stood in the center of the room. He darted to the side with a shout of shock before snarling and returning fire. They split up instantly, firing on the purple mech from all sides. He let out a howl of fury before the wires dangling all around the room started twitching. Oriona barely had time to shout a warning before the wires snapped up and grabbed their legs, holding them in place.

"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Shockblast cackled before pointing his gun at Megatron. "You really are pathetic."

Megatron let out a low growl before he shot at the vines holding him in place. He darted out of the way as Shockblast fired, activating his thrusters to shoot at the purple mech from the air. Shockblast snarled in rage before firing wildly on Megatron, shouting at him to land and fight him like a real mech. There was a flash of light before Shockblast was on his back dazed, leaving himself open for Megatron to shoot. Megatron shot him once before dropping down to help the others free themselves from the withering masses of wires.

Oriona was in the middle of kicking herself free when a mass of wires wrapped around her arm and started dragging her towards the wall. She let out a gasp of surprise before struggling with all her might, hearing Starscream shout that the presence was almost on top of them now. She heard Shockblast cackle insanely and she looked at where he was lying on the floor. He had his gun pointed at her and it was slowly charging as she was dragged steadily to the wall. She could feel ghostly hands struggle with the wires, a familiar mech's voice snarling at the wires to release her.

Megatron let out a snarl before she heard the gun fire. She braced for the impact until she heard a femme's voice shout at her to get down. She felt a hand press on her shoulder seconds before the swift whoosh of a blade split the air. The wires holding her arm prisoner was sliced off and she tumbled to the ground as the resistance vanished. She watched a large red and blue femme crouch down beside her and start firing at Shockblast.

"Move your aft!" the femme hissed before flattening herself onto her stomach to avoid getting shot. "It ain't getting any safer here with those angered wires!"

Oriona didn't need any more prompting to get to her feet and race across the chamber, dodging Shockblast's wild shots. The femme ran right beside her, firing back at Shockblast while shouting taunts and insults that would have made Wingdagger proud. They both slipped into the group that was now concentrating their fire on Shockblast, forcing him to back up to avoid getting shot. He let out a growl of frustration before turning and fleeing through a doorway.

Starscream laughed at him before telling them that the doorway led to a dead end; Shockblast was trapped. He turned to thank the strange femme, only to yelp as she scooped him up and started spinning in circles. He shouted at her to put him down before she stopped spinning and held him out at arm's length, green optics twinkling as his feet dangled at least a foot off the ground.

"What?" she asked innocently before laughing. "Don't you recognize me?"

"Uh, no," he growled before pausing, staring at her intently before his jaw fell open. "WINGDAGGER?!"

"Ding, ding, ding," she teased before hugging him again as he launched himself at her. "Ow! New body's still sore!"

They both toppled over and cuddled on the ground, emitting soft chirps and coos. Everyone gawked at the pair in shock; was this femme honestly Wingdagger? How had she come back to life? Why did she look so different?

"Dag?" Oriona croaked.

"Hey Paxy," the femme laughed before sitting up, cradling the smaller Starscream to her chest. "I think a better nickname might be 'Sab' though." She laughed before winking her green optic. "I'm Wing_sabre _now."

"How?" Megatron demanded.

"Primus upgraded me," she replied proudly before hugging Starscream tightly. "Wasn't my time to leave yet."

Starscream let out a soft murmur before hugging her back, his optics unfocused. He whispered something about missing her and she pressed her face into his neck, murmuring that she missed him too. Demolisher cleared his throat and commented that, no matter how touching the display was, they were currently after a serious killer. The pair separated with soft coos to each other before they stood up, looking at their leaders for instructions.

Oriona was a little disoriented from the new look to her friend, but forced herself to get over it. They all walked out the antechamber and followed the only path that was available. Shockblast's cursing reached them as they rounded the only corner and they all snickered as he stood punching the wall in an attempt to get free. He spun around to look at them, his gun trained on them.

"Megatron," Scorponok's voice called over the com link. "Come in...now would be nice!"

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"You mean besides the plan backfiring in our faces and now we're on a collision course with Unicron's body?" she asked sarcastically. "Nope, nothing's wrong."

"Where's Ironhide?" Megatron demanded as Shockblast started firing at them while laughing manically

"Stuck beside me," she replied with a growl. "Alpha-Q knew we were going to double-cross him; and before you ask, he filled me in on the way to the refinery."

"Is there any way for you to get loose?"

"Nope; we're stuck until we crash."

"We're all gunna die," Hot Shot sighed bitterly. "Nice going, Dad."

Megatron shot Hot Shot a warning look before they dodged away from Shockblast's lasers. Oriona guessed that they only had a short time before the impact and braced herself against Megatron's leg as he returned fire. Everything seemed to grow eerily silent before the ground shook beneath them, sending everyone sprawling on the ground. A loud screech of metal on metal tore the air apart as the shaking increased.

Megatron's arm wrapped protectively around her waist as he pulled her into his chest, covering her as a bright light started to engulf them. The world exploded around them and everyone screamed in terror and shock as they heard the metal around them shredding itself. Oriona glanced up as she felt the quaking subside, staring around her in shock before she managed to wiggle out from under Megatron's massive body.

Bits of debris were floating around them, slowly making its way to a point in front of her. A bright light was shining in front of them and drawing everything around it into its depth. Megatron stood up beside her and murmured in surprise, his red optics widening. The others were on their feet and staring at the same light that seemed to be beckoning them. Their euphoric moment was ruined as Shockblast fired at them.

They dove out of the way and Wingsabre landed heavily beside her, grumbling under her breath. She glared at Shockblast before looking Oriona in the optic.

"We have to link up," she stated.

"Do I look like a combiner?" Oriona demanded before throwing herself behind one of the pillars that composed the landscape around them now.

"We can link up," Wingsabre snapped before glaring at her. "Primus told me that you and I can join into one body. Together we can take this sucker down!"

"Did you get hit in the head during the collision?" Oriona demanded before yelping as her friend seemed to split down the center. "Wingsabre!"

"Hold still," Wingsabre snorted before her body remoulded itself into a pair of arms and legs. "Here I come!"

Oriona could only gawk as her friend's body overlapped her own. Power and energy that she couldn't imagine flooded her systems along with another sensation; she could fly. She didn't have time to thoroughly dive into the new sensations before she leapt to the side to avoid Shockblast's laser. She flipped herself over and hovered in midair, grinning madly at the joy that flew through her body. Wingsabre's mind brushed hers and she let out a loud whoop of delight before charging the madmech.

Shockblast howled in surprise as she bowled him over. She spun around and fired a volley of lasers at the purple mech, grinning like a lunatic as they knocked him off his feet. He snarled at her before a large chunk of Unicron's armor slammed into him. He was sent flying towards the light, screaming in terror before he vanished. Oriona punched the air triumphantly before Wingsabre split from her and caught her carefully.

They laughed and shouted their victory to the dark expansions of space until a loud howl of agony caught their attention. They looked up and watched as Ironhide crashed into the ground not far from them, a dark gray shell hitting the ground next to him. Oriona could feel her son's agony and she instructed her friend to fly her over to him. Wingsabre didn't need to ask why as they flew to where Ironhide was pulling himself over to the shell, ignoring the snarling human that was stomping around nearby.

Oriona was dropped onto the ground beside her son and she gasped in horror. Scorponok was offline. Ironhide was sobbing as he struggled to drag himself over to his fallen lover, his legs broken from the fall. Just as he reached out to grasp the femme's hand, the ground beneath her gave way. It was sucked into the light, taking the delicate gray frame with it, and Ironhide howled even more as she was taken away. Oriona fell beside her distraught son and hugged him to her chest, holding him as he cried.

"She's gone!" he wailed before hugging her tightly. "Alpha-Q...this is all his fault! He made sure that we couldn't move when we hit the planet!"

"Where is he now?" she whispered.

"On the other side of that light," he spat bitterly while rubbing his optics. "He...he said it was a wormhole thing that would take him to somewhere to build the planets."

Oriona held him to her tightly before she looked at Megatron. The others that had been in charge of getting rid of the traitors had arrived and were clustering around them. Megatron was staring at the light before he returned her gaze, crouching down to kiss her forehead.

"Look after Ironhide and the other injured soldiers," he instructed before standing up. "I'll meet you on the other side of that light." He looked around at the soldiers in front of him and snorted. "All those capable of flying on their own are to follow me if you do not require repairs!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!" the few Seekers there were replied, saluting immediately.

He snorted before taking to the air and flying towards the light. Oriona watched as he and his small squadron vanished into the light, sighing sadly as she cradled her son as he grieved. They gained one more soldier, but lost another one in the same blow. How many more were going to die before they could right this wrong? She stood up carefully and supported Ironhide enough for Demolisher to swing him up onto his back.

She looked at the soldiers and ordered them back to Cybertron, calling Springer to gather as many flying mechs and femmes as he could to help them get back to base. She had a feeling that Unicron's body was going to go through the light next and she wanted to be off of it as soon as possible. They had to regroup and find a way to get through that light to help the handful of Seekers that had headed through.

**Author's Note:** Uh...I'm sorry? At least you've got Wingsabre back right?...Right?...I'm going to hide from the angry horde now. 


	14. New Worlds

Chapter 14 New Worlds

Oriona ducked out of the room as Ironhide howled with grief again. He was still undergoing repairs from the injuries he had sustained, but he was slowly approaching the stage where Ratchet was going to knock him out. He was continuously screaming for Scorponok and wriggling in an attempt to get away, ignoring everyone else as they tried to get him to lie down. Quickstart had finally just strapped him down to the berth so that the repairs could start, grumbling about theatrics.

She felt horrible for him; the pain of losing a mate was tremendous, but Scorponok and he were not mates. Her loss was sudden and tragic, everyone on base understood that and were grieving on their own. She knew he loved her enough to feel pain, but he didn't need to lash out at the rest of them, especially not at Prowl. She had calmly told him to settle down and let the medics do their job. He had snapped and told her that she knew nothing about losing a loved one suddenly.

Prowl had gone rigid before she leant in closer and told him in the coldest voice any of them had ever heard that he knew nothing about pain. He had growled at her to prove it and her smile was as twisted as her optics before she let out an insane laugh that scared even Kup out of his armor. She called him foolish and stupid before turning and walking away, her doorwings twitching before Jazz stepped into her path and hugged her.

Oriona shivered at the thought again; Prowl had never been that cold to _anyone_ before. She sighed as she rubbed her brow, knowing of what lay ahead for them. She had to find some way to get through the light that was still shining across the sky, almost as if it was waiting for them to enter. Most of her mechs were trapped on the ground and were too heavy for the Seekers to try to carry through. And even if they did go through with that plan, there was no way to be certain that they would be able to fly back to collect the rest of the troops.

She sighed again before she heard someone calling her name. She looked up and didn't see anyone in the hallway to either side of her and wondered if she had been hearing things. She heard someone laugh before she looked at the floor, smiling at the sight of Dr. Jones standing there with a wide grin on his face.

"Thought you heard things?" he asked before laughing. "I guess that's what I get for walking around."

"It's good to see someone in high spirits," she commented before nodding, kneeling down to let him walk onto her offered hand.

"Yes, my condolence to Ironhide," he sighed softly. "His pain must be unimaginable."

"For one of your size, yes," she replied before standing up.

"Oh, ha ha," he commented before tilting his head. "Have you figured out how you're going after Megatron?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I haven't the faintest idea," she replied. "I would have suggested one of our spaceships, but none of them are prepped for that kind of flight anymore."

"Most of them were torn apart for construction purposes, am I correct?" he asked before grinning. "Well, I'm pleased to inform you that I have a ship."

She looked at the human sceptically. "You have a spaceship, Doctor?" she asked.

"Yes, and it works too," he replied. "I've called it the _Miranda II_ in honour of my wife."

She smiled before asking if he would care to show her where the ship was. He nodded before requesting that she set him down; it would be easier if he could navigate the halls on his own instead of trying to direct her around. She set him down with a shake of her head, telling him to lead on. He led her through the hallways to an underground docking bay, which she was unaware was attached to the base, and grinned as he opened his arms as if to hold the splendour before him.

"How's that for a ship?" he asked with a grin.

Oriona was surprised at the size of the spacecraft. She had been expecting one that would be lucky to hold her and Arcee, but instead she was staring at a ship that would have made any of their old ones proud. Predominantly white, it was streamline and quite large, with what appeared to be guns mounted just under the wings. She walked up to the crazy and walked around the base in awe, wondering where Dr. Jones had found the materials.

"This could actually work," she murmured in amazement. "Could we use this?"

"Of course!" he laughed before pointing at her. "What, did you think I was showing you it to taunt you?" he asked.

She laughed in return before activating her com link and telling everyone to head for her location. She radioed Ratchet to see how Ironhide was doing, sighing with relief when he informed her that he was ready for action again and already kicked out of the medbay. She wasn't that surprised considering he was annoying the medics more than anything and suspected she would have to force one of them to come along with them when they went through the light. Just to make sure that Ironhide really was all healed up.

She heard the others approaching and turned towards the hanger doors as they walked in. Several let out long whistles of admiration as they walked over, their optics wide in surprise. She heard someone demand to know when they had a landing bay underground and smirked; at least she wasn't the only one that didn't have a clue. Several asked where the ship came from and Dr. Jones waved from near her feet, having backed up to avoid getting stepped on.

Everyone was surprised that a human had made such a well-crafted spaceship. They praised him before Springer walked over and ran his hand over one piece of the armor. He nodded before commenting that this would definitely work if they wanted to go into space. Oriona smirked before asking who he thought would be good to bring along. He frowned for a moment before turning to her.

"You want me to choose?" he asked.

"Well, considering you're an expert," she replied with a grin.

He blinked once before laughing and slapping her back, making her stumble slightly. "I really prefer being on the same side as you, Pax!" he laughed before winking. "Never did understand how your brother hated you."

"Thanks, Springer," she grumbled as she rubbed her back slightly.

He smirked before calling Prowl over, asking her who she thought she tag along for strategic reasons. She looked back at the crowd and called Hot Shot and Side Swipe over, frowning before calling Wheeljack as well. Hot Shot and Wheeljack high-fived each other before Wheeljack cringed as Tracks and Bluestreak were called over. Tracks smirked at him and wondered out loud why he was asked to come along; they already had their top sniper with them. Bluestreak told her to stop harassing him, her blue optics narrowed in annoyance before she smiled at Side Swipe.

"This is awesome, isn't it?" she asked before giggling. "Not even senior soldiers yet and we get picked."

Side Swipe nodded. "Yeah," he replied before holding his fist out for her to punch. "Best of the best and not even full adults yet."

Bluestreak stared at his fist in confusion before knocking her fist against his with a tilt of her head. He laughed before explaining that it was an Earth custom. Her expression perked up instantly and she laughed that she would love to learn more about Earth. Prowl leant over to Oriona and whispered that they had to tell them that they were related before they did something stupid. She agreed before looking at the other soldiers and asking which ones she thought should also come along.

She called Scavenger, Hound, and Mirage over, nodding to them as they acted like soldiers and did not taunt the others. Oriona called Demolisher and Snowcat over, whispering to Prowl that there was no way she was leaving those two without adult supervision; she got a small snort of laughter out of the other femme. Springer called Arcee over, murmuring that Rodimus would kill him if he left his mate and sparkling behind. Oriona smirked before looking over at the group that had been chosen, nodding before she looked at Kup.

"You're in charge of Cybertron while I'm gone," she stated before signalling Ironhide to get over to the group. "Monitor he area for any of the prisoners; I don't think all of them managed to get through."

"Are you taking a medic with you?" Kup asked before he started shooing the grumbling soldiers away. "Red Alert, perhaps?"

Oriona nodded before said mech walked over and leant almost teasingly on Side Swipe's head. The shorter mech glared at him slightly before Kicker ran up and demanded to come along. Ironhide mumbled that he could, his optics downcast the whole time, even when Kicker kicked him in an attempt to snap him out of his "emo-ness". Hot Shot nudged the human away from Ironhide and told him to give him some room until he's ready to talk. Kicker mumbled about idiots before Oriona ordered everyone onto the ship.

The interior was large enough that Oriona probably could have sat on Megatron's shoulders and not hit her head on the ceiling. Everyone was impressed by the structure and took their time walking through the hallways that would lead to the command bay. When they walked in, they were greeted by a room that was very similar to their own designs for past cruisers. Hot Shot asked Dr. Jones if he had based his ship on their schematics and he confessed that he had. His, however, had a few more homey touches; namely larger rooms with more "creature comforts".

She had to hand it to the human, he knew his way around mechanics. Springer sat down in one of the chairs in front of the control panel and started messing with the buttons. He grinned before shouting that he got the engine running; considering everyone could feel the ground rumbling under their feet. Dr. Jones wished them the best of luck before exiting the ship, radioing Rad to open the docking bay doors.

Springer grinned as the doors at the end of the room opened up, the lights along the runaway springing to life. He shouted at everyone to hold on before they started to roll forward. Wheelie let out a small jingle of flying through the air before holding on tightly to his mother's leg as Arcee gripped one of the control panels. Oriona gripped another control panel just in time as Springer fired the engines and blasted them out of the hanger. Wheeljack, who hadn't been able to find a free space to hold onto, ended up getting thrown off his feet and sent sliding across the floor.

Tracks laughed at him until they stabilized their flight, where she then squealed in surprise as he lunged at her. The pair went rolling across the floor and Prowl could only growl in annoyance, announcing that she was so much like her father it made her head spin. Bluestreak asked if she acted like her father and Oriona replied that she only acted like him in terms of maturity; she was a notorious little prankster when she wanted to be.

Bluestreak seemed to find the answer suitable and moved off to find out what Springer was doing. Side Swipe stared after her for a moment before getting to his feet and wandering over to one of the other monitors. Ironhide stood where he was for another moment before he turned and walked out of the command bay, his shoulders slumped sadly. Kicker went to follow him, only for Prowl to stop him, murmuring that he needed to be alone. Oriona stared after him sadly before sighing and taking her place at the main screen.

"We're coming," she murmured as they headed into the bright light. "Hang on."

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"34 bottles of high grade on the wall, 34 bottles of high grade...!"

Megatron was quite sure that if Flamewar kept singing that song he was going to shoot her. It wasn't that he hated it, no, had he had much of a singing voice he might have joined in, it was that this was the fifth turn through the entire song. Why had he agreed to splitting up and taking Flamewar with him? Oh, right, because the mated couple had wanted to be alone. He turned to look at the Seeker and pulled up short as he saw that she had fallen behind.

"What are you doing?" he called as he flew back beside her.

She looked at him before pointing to the large planet below them. "That wasn't there when you flew past," she replied. "That huge sun over there is creating planets like it's going out of style."

He looked around him and was stunned at what he was seeing; ten minutes ago it had been a barren expanse of space, now it was bustling with growing planets. He was stunned by the multitude of various surfaces that he could see. The one below them was dark green and the one over was dark blue with no sign of landmasses on the surface. Another one a short distance away was pure white with huge clouds whipping around the atmosphere. Yet another one farther along looked like it was purely metallic.

"Look at them all," he murmured as Flamewar pressed against him in awe. "It's a whole new solar system."

"That Alpha-Q guy must have kept his promise after all," she mused before she started waving her arm. "Over here, you love-birds!"

"Shut up, Flamewar," Starscream shouted back before he and Wingsabre flew up to them. "This is amazing."

"There must be close to fifty planets flying around!" Wingsabre sighed before looking around. "And there've been a few collisions already."

"I can't wait for the others to get here," Flamewar laughed before spinning around and striking a pose. "Finally, a real reason to explore!"

Wingsabre laughed as she posed back to back with her cousin-in-bond. "Yeah! New lifeforms to study! It's a scientist's dream come true!" she cheered.

"Since when are you interested in science?" Megatron asked.

"Since it makes Starscream that much more excited," she replied before she flashed her optics. "Which means he can take more overloads before he offlines himself from exhaustion."

Megatron slammed his face into his hand with a groan; he was sorry he asked. Starscream looked away with a frown, grumbling that he wasn't that bad on normal occasions. Megatron shot his friend a look before he paused and lifted his head up more; he thought he could sense something approaching. He could remember where they had existed the spacebridge-like light and he was certain that the sensation was originating from there.

He transformed and took off towards the expansion of space that the light was still shining from. The others called after him once before blasting after him, forming a triangle behind him. He could almost feel their curiosity colour the space around them, but chose to ignore it as he headed for the light. He sensed the presence grow stronger as he approached and stopped midflight and transformed to stare in amazement at the sight before him.

A huge ship had just flown out of the light, the design anything but Cybertronian. The others stared as they lined up beside him, gawking at the ship as it headed towards them. It banked to the side and slipped past them, the command bay glowing with familiar lights as something waved from the window. Wingsabre waved back before her com link crackled to life and Megatron didn't even have to wait for the contactor to talk; he knew who was on that ship.

He flew straight towards the air lock as the ship remained stationary not far from him. He grinned as it opened at his approach, revealing the small, delicate form of his mate as he landed. He scooped her up without a moment's hesitation, spinning around down the hall as the other Seeker's piled in. She laughed before telling him to put her down; it had been a day at the most since they had seen each other. Wingsabre teased that a day away from their mate equalled a month to a "happy" Seeker. He shot her a look for ruining his surprise before Oriona started wiggling.

"Oh no, put me down!" Oriona yelped as he tightened his grip. "Megatron, really? Really?!"

He laughed as she thrashed uselessly as he swung her over his shoulder, grinning down at Prowl as the tactician groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She told him that the quarters were down the corridor on the right hand side and to choose one that was far enough away from hers that their interfacing wouldn't wake her up. Megatron thanked her before turning and heading for the quarters, smirking as the Seekers let out wolf-calls after him.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that, right?" Oriona growled as she lifted herself up slightly off of his shoulder.

"I've always been aware of it," he replied before pressing his hand against one of the security pads; a hand scanner, on a Cybertronian ship?

He shrugged the thought off before he walked in, glancing back at Oriona's less than amused expression. He smirked before flopping her down onto the berth, placing his hands on either side of her head as she glared at him. He leant down and kissed her, purring gently as he felt her body relax into the berth as she forgave him. One hand slid down her waist, playing with the clasps of her pelvic plating before he felt one of her legs slid up the inside of his thigh. He shivered and moaned into her mouth, prompting her to shove her glossa into his mouth.

He purred at the unexpected display of dominance, thoroughly enjoying it. Oriona rarely tried to dominate him in any act, preferring to go along with his wishes. He would never call what she did submitting because she still put up a fight; it was always in a playful manner and she saw interfacing as a means to show her playful nature to him. He felt her legs push him to the side and he let her roll them over so that he was lying on his back. She pulled back from the kiss to purr down at him, her yellow optics darkened to a sultry gleam.

"So, before we frag each other senseless," she murmured as she leant in to lick his neck, "what have you learnt?"

"Besides that you are a closet dominatrix?" he teased before she bit his neck. "Ow! I was kidding! It would seem that Alph-Q...ooh!" She had slid her hand teasingly under his pelvic plating and was playing with a few of the wires on his tube. "Stop that when I'm trying to talk! Anyways, Alpha-Q seems to have started making all the planets; they're popping up faster than petro-rabbits."

"Well, at least he kept his promise," she whispered as she teased the wires a little more to get the moan out of him. "Unlike another mech I know."

"Hey!" he yelped before a current of electricity flowed up her arm. "He's only here because I back-stabbed him."

She let out a faint purr before she teased another wire that resulted in a strand of blue electricity to flow up her arm. He felt his desire spike and he growled hungrily at her, baring his fangs as a dirty smirk took over her face. She teased the wires a little more before she easily unfastened the clip on his pelvic plating, tossing it aside as if it was garbage. She looked at him before lying down beside him and playing with the wires that were going haywire around his tube.

He gave her a pout before accepting that he wasn't going to be overloading the traditional way. He relaxed into the berth and let her have her fun with his crazy wires. He heard her com link go off and announce that Springer had decided to touch down on a green planet and that things were about to get a little rough. She answered that they could handle it before looking down at him again and grinning wickedly.

"You heard Prowl," she teased as she turned her com link off and pulled one of the wires straight up so that it was whipping around uselessly in her hand. "Things are about to get _rough_."

Outside the room, anyone walking past would have been spared the audio shattering scream of pain and pleasure that tore from Megatron's mouth. Oriona, sweet, innocent little Oriona, had just bitten one of his more sensitive wires. He had a feeling that this was going to be a very, very interesting interface session.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"What's going on? Where am I? What happened?"

"Hush, little one. Everything will be alright."

"Why am I here? Where _is_ here?"

"You are with me, safe and secure until the time is right for you to be returned to your kind."

"Returned?"

"Fear not, little one; you are not lost. I will always protect all of my creations."

"...Creator? ...But...I'm not...."

"You are one of my children, whether I created you or not. Fear not for I will protect you with eternal light."

"...Thank you.... Thank you."


	15. Welcome Home

Chapter 15 Welcome Home

Oriona smiled as she watched Starscream chase after the enormous dragonfly, shouting at it to hold still. He was trying to put a catalogue together of the various lifeforms that resided on the less-than-originally-named Jungle Planet. It was mostly filled with larger versions of the insects on Earth at the moment, but Starscream was positive that, in time, it would evolve to more sophisticated organic creatures. Wingsabre was helping to catch the slower insects, laughing when several of them tickled her hands with their antennas.

While Oriona was not an excellent source of scientific knowledge, she did know that the other two were enjoying themselves. While Wingsabre had picked up almost all of her knowledge from Starscream, she was still able to tell the difference between a dicot plant and a monocot one; Oriona looked at one and declared that it was, indeed, a plant. When Starscream was finally able to catch the dragonfly, he brought it back over to Flamewar so that she could record what it looked like and give it a name; so far Starscream had had to smack her and tell her to give it a serious scientific name instead of "Twitchy McFuzzy" when Wingsabre had presented a large cockroach.

Oriona looked over at her mate and elbowed him since he was pretending to be asleep. He grunted before looking down at her and leaning over as if to rest on her. She rolled her optics before stepping away, watching in amusement as he fell flat on his face. That's what he gets for wanting to interface the night away. He rolled over to glare at her, demanding to know why she had let him fall. She gave him a pointed look before sighing and shaking her head, looking back over at the Seekers as Flamewar let out a very loud shout.

She turned to look and laughed as the dragonfly firmly attached itself to Flamewar's arm. She started shaking her arm in a desperate attempt to free herself, shouting at it that she wasn't its girlfriend. Oriona covered her mouth to hide her giggle as Starscream attempted to, gently, pry the insect off of his cousin's arm. He commented that it must be mating season before the dragonfly finally released her arm to chase after another dragonfly that had just zipped past. Flamewar smacked her cousin over the head before growling that he had a lousy sense of humour.

Megatron got to his feet and chuckled before growing oddly silent. Oriona turned to look at him and blinked at his distant expression. He stared off into space for another minute, making her grow concerned, before he shook his head.

"I have to go for a little while," he stated calmly before he walked forward to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Any reason why you have to go?" she asked.

"Just...a feeling," he replied before kissing her again. "Starscream, follow me," he added as he took to the air.

"Make sure Flamewar isn't attacked by mating-frenzied dragonflies," Starscream told Wingsabre before he took to the air after his friend, flipping over several times to dodge Flamewar's lasers.

Oriona watched them leave and wondered where they were headed for a moment before a more pressing issue presented itself. Namely Kicker lassoing a giant cockroach and trying to climb on it while getting dragged around. It must be a male thing to do stupid stunts. Then again, she mused as she watched Wingsabre get chased around by a very angry wasp, femmes were just as reckless when they wanted to be.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

"So tell me, oh grand one, where are we going?" Starscream asked as he zipped after his friend's larger form.

Megatron glanced at him briefly before speeding up in order to escape Jungle Planet's gravitational pull. "I sensed something," he replied simply. "And I need to find out what it is."

"Fair enough," Starscream replied.

Megatron chuckled to himself. Seekers had an odd knack of seeing things that others didn't. He suspected it came from eons of flying over every other inhabitant of Cybertron that had manifested itself into a weak form of ESP or foresight. His senses had always been a little better than other ground-pounders, but now that he was a Seeker they were almost twice as sensitive. Right now, that extra sense was telling him to head for another planet and that something important was there waiting for him.

He followed the sensation, wobbling as it intensified. He spotted a large barren planet ahead and he was almost tugged forward as his senses screamed that this was the place. He headed down through the atmosphere, twisting slightly to ease the annoying heat on his wings before he levelled off in the sky. Starscream zipped up beside him and twisted around as he transformed.

"This the place?" he asked.

"Yes," Megatron replied as he transformed and looked around. "The only problem now is tracking the source down."

"We've got all day," Starscream chuckled before he took off over the barren planet.

Megatron snorted before heading in the other direction, letting the intensity guide him. He dropped in altitude towards a huge scar in the planet's surface, tilting his head curiously when he spotted gray metal glinting faintly in the sunlight despite the depth it was at. He dropped down into the gouge taken out of the planet and landed in front of the glinting metal, only to wince and take a step back as despair flooded his spark.

Scorponok's broken shell was lodged between the side of the scar and a large boulder. Her grey optics stared right through him as a thin trail of energon lay caked on the corner of her mouth. He bent down and ran a hand over her head, thinking about how much he would have loved to call her a daughter. He sighed sadly before he gently picked her up and leant her against the rock wall, dusting her off as he went.

"You can save her," Primus' voice whispered into his audio before he felt the Creator's touch on his shoulders. "Your powers are different than your mate's, but you can take back the life that was extinguished."

"How?" he asked, his fingertips already feeling like they were burning.

"Let me help you," Primus chuckled before ghostly hands surrounded his. "You still cannot control yourself enough to not harm Scorponok."

He chuckled in return before looking down at Scorponok's body. Primus whispered for him to concentrate on what he wanted to happen and he put all of his spark into wishing that Scorponok was alive again. He felt heat spread along his wings, making him move them in discomfort, before it spread down his back. The heat intensified in an instant before it roared over his arms, making flames erupt along his armor, and leap towards Scorponok.

He yelped in surprise and leapt backwards as the fire continued to grow on him. Primus reassured him that he would not be harmed before the fire snaked along the ground to the fallen femme's body. He watched in amazement as the flames leaped over her body, eating away at the gray metal to leave the brilliant green paintjob from before behind. Red optics onlined as the flames started to die down before Scorponok coughed to clear her intakes of the silt that had lodged there.

"Where...am I?" she whispered before struggling to stand up as the flames extinguished themselves. "One minute that Primus guy is protecting me and the next thing is this unbelievable heat and...."

Megatron darted forward and grabbed her as she started to slide towards the ground again. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist before hoisting her up to his chest. He told her not to move and to give her body time to readjust to being alive again. She rested against his chest before looking up at him and smiling weakly.

"I...I owe you one," she whispered before snuggling closer. "Thank you, my lord."

"Focus that gratitude on getting Ironhide out of the depression he has slipped into," he replied.

Mentioning Ironhide was the wrong thing to do with the newly revived femme. She went into hysteria, clinging to him and demanding to know if Ironhide was alright. He reassured her that he was still functioning, just acting very moody. She told him that they had to get going immediately and he lifted an optic ridge at her.

"We aren't going anywhere until you can walk on your own two feet," he replied.

"Well, let's get going because I can!" she snapped.

"Oh really?" he asked before smirking and letting her go. "Prove it."

She glared at him before taking a shaky step forward, sneering that she could do it. She then fell flat on her face as her legs gave out from under her. He laughed as she slammed into the ground, knowing full well that he was going to get it when she actually could walk. He was distracted by his com link going off and watched in amusement as Scorponok stood up shakily.

"Yes?"

"Megatron, did you find what you were looking for?" Starscream asked.

"Yes, I did," he replied with a smirk as Scorponok tried to walk forward. "Head back to Jungle Planet; I'll catch up."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

THUD

"...What was that?"

"Something fell over, nothing to worry about."

Megatron hung up before Starscream could ask any more questions and grinned down at Scorponok. She growled in annoyance before forcing herself back to her feet and attempting to walk again. Only to wind up on her face again. This was going to be amusing for however long it lasted, Megatron decided.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Oriona tilted her head in confusion as Starscream landed beside the ship. She asked him where Megatron was and he shrugged before replying that he guessed the giant was digging whatever it was that was bothering him out of the side of a hill. Ironhide grumbled beside her before she shot him a warning glance.

Megatron didn't usually send anyone off if he was searching for something. If nothing else, he might have made Starscream dig whatever it was out for him. She wondered what he was possibly doing before she heard a loud sonicboom echo around the ship. She looked up and sighed in relief as she caught sight of her mate's massive white form heading for them.

He flipped over a few times, twisting himself around in midair as he transformed. He landed perfectly on his feet beside her, smirking as if he had just completed the most amazing trick known to Cybertron. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist before he paused and chuckled. He activated his com link and looked up at the sky, squinting slightly.

"Did you fall behind?" he asked.

"Shut up," a distinctively female voice snapped. "You try remembering how to fly."

"It hasn't been that long," he teased.

"Long enough for my joints to rust up," the voice snarled in reply. "Now shut up! You're distracting me!"

Megatron laughed as a ship came into view, wavering slightly as it made its way towards them. Ironhide stepped past them and narrowed his optics before whispering something and hopping down off of the ship. He walked a short distance towards the ship before his horns straightened on his head.

"Scorponok?" Oriona heard him whisper before the ship dipped towards him and started speeding up. "Scorponok!"

The ship flipped over and Oriona watched in amazement as the Transformer crashed into Ironhide and sent them both tumbling backwards. Scorponok, very much alive, ended up sprawled out on Ironhide's chest, her tail waving back and forth over her head as the couple exchanged heated kisses. Oriona gawked at them before she turned to look at Megatron, too stunned to demand an explanation. He smirked before wrapping his arm around her waist and whispering that Primus moved in mysterious ways.

She glared at him before looking back at the couple currently lost in each other's arms. She smirked before ordering everyone else inside; she had a feeling that they were going to be busy for the next little while. She'd wiggle how Megatron managed to find and bring Scorponok back to life in the meantime. He never was good at holding his glossa when she managed to pin him down and tease his wires.


	16. Guess Who?

Chapter 16 Guess Who's Back?

Oriona sighed miserably as she tried to wiggle out from under Megatron's bulk. And he wondered why she hated sharing a berth with him some nights. No, she didn't mind the hugs or the snuggling he tended to give in his recharged when he was thoroughly exhausted. She didn't even mind when he "accidentally" started sucking on her antennas and making her squirm uncomfortably until she had to wake him up; then he insisted they interfaced, which was often a bonus in their mind. No, what really ticked her off is when he rolled over during his recharge and trapped her against the berth. That's what she hated the most.

She could wiggle for almost an hour and not get anywhere until the bucket of bolts decided to roll back over. Or if she kicked him hard enough he tended to wake up long enough to realize that he was squishing her. Those instances were few and far between however and she often just had to wait until he decided to online his optics. How he couldn't feel something as big as her jabbing into his stomach and chest, she didn't have a clue.

She sighed in annoyance before wiggling again, trying in vain to get him off of her, to no avail. She felt her irritation grow as her com link went off and she had to wrench her arm out from under her where it was pinned since Megatron refused to move. How had he not woken up to the sound of her com link?

"Yes?" she growled as she managed to activate it.

"Grouchy?" Flamewar asked.

"I am currently getting crushed under Megatron's fat aft," she hissed back. "Speak quickly so I can get back to getting free."

"Alright, you remember those traitors before?" she asked. "Well, they're back to attacking the planets in search of energon to revive Unicron."

Oriona groaned in annoyance before sighing. "Where are they attacking?"

"Here," Flamewar replied. "This ship is really stable; we aren't even rocking from their shots."

She let out a strangled growl before ordering her to get a team out there fighting while she worked on getting Megatron's aft out of berth. Flamewar chimed that she'd get right on it before she cut the link, leaving Oriona to stare at her mate as he managed to stay asleep. Considering Flamewar had all but shouted that final remark, he should have woken up. He was not that sound of a recharger; Pit, if she so much as moved during the night he was up and ready to attack. Must have been leftover coding from the war and attempted; and failed; assassinations while he recharged. She growled before leaning up and biting his shoulder as hard as she could, earning a loud yowl of pain. Megatron's optics onlined as he recoiled and held his dented shoulder tightly.

"The slag was that for?" he demanded.

"For rolling over me, you fat slagger!" she spat in return, irritation growing as he continued to lay on her.

Megatron looked at her in confusion before realizing that he was, indeed, lying on top her. He apologized and sat up, rubbing his shoulder to alleviate the pain from her bite; big sparkling, he could take fifty laser shots to the chest and not bat an optic shutter, but bite his shoulder and watch how quickly he wailed. She snorted as she sat up and told him to get ready for a fight. He looked at her in confusion as she got up and started walking towards the door, narrowing his optics before he followed her.

"A fight?" he asked as he rotated his arm. "Slag, you have sharp little dentas."

"You're just a wuss and yes, there's a fight," she replied, walking briskly down the hallway. "Those traitors are back and trying to steal energon."

"They never learn," he chuckled.

"Well, they did learn from their leader, didn't they?" she asked as she headed out of the ship.

He growled at her before demanding to know what was going on as they walked out onto the deck. Starscream dropped out of the sky to comment that there were new Terrorcons running around and that Scorponok could not control them. Megatron snorted before taking to the sky, his guns already firing into the hordes circling the ship. Oriona hopped over the railing on the ship and landed beside Hot Shot, ducking as he fired over her head at one of the turn-coats. She pulled her gun out and fired in the same direction, catching another traitor in the stomach and sending him into merciful deactivation.

She ordered for an update and had to duck as a laser was fired at her head. Scorponok, who had just erupted out of the ground to stab the traitor in the back with her stinger, informed her that the new Terrorcons would not obey her. How this was possible, she wasn't sure, nor did she care; they weren't her Terrorcons so she had no problem destroying them. Not to mention they were dumber than the group she had under her control; apparently, a small number of them had run into a rock wall...repeatedly. And another group had run right off a cliff like a pack of Earth lemmings, one right after the other. Oriona smirked before darting away from a laser as Shockblast swooped by overhead.

"We're going to need backup," Side Swipe commented.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Tracks demanded in a sarcastic voice.

"Be nice," Bluestreak hissed as she shot a traitor out of the air. "Ba-oom! Headshot!"

"Wing-shot," her sister corrected her.

Bluestreak glared at her before blinking up at the sky. She let out a low noise of confusion before asking if anyone else could see the space bridge opening up over their heads. Oriona looked up and frowned before informing the young gunner that she wasn't seeing things. She wondered who had opened a space bridge momentarily before she heard a loud crying of delight from within the glowing warp hole.

Seconds later, a blue Cybertronian jet came barrelling out of the space bridge, closely followed by a black jet. The pair circled the area once before open firing on the ex-prisoners, hollering as they went and making a great deal of ruckus in their wake. Starscream flew up beside them and joined in on the carnage, shouting at the other two to watch where they were aiming since they almost shot Snowcat and Demolisher...twice. Realizing just who it was, Oriona punched the air as the new Terrorcons fled the area; they looked like extinct Earth creatures called "dinosaurs" and gigantic stag beetles now that she stopped to look at them.

Her attention was dragged back to the space bridge as the bird and panther Terrorcons came streaming out, dropping onto the ground to give chase to their retreating counterparts. Several of the panthers stopped beside Scorponok and rubbed their head against her legs, purring loudly as she bent down to pet them. Oriona smirked at the number that had come to stand beside the ground troops, their mace tails swinging back and forth menacingly. She stroked the one closest to her and told it that it was a good Terrorcon, earning a loud purr of delight. Hot Shot and Side Swipe groaned at her for her antics and she stuck her glossa out at them in response.

"We late for the party?" Jazz's voice called out as he drove out of the end of the space bridge and started to fall. "Whoops! Incoming mech! Lookout below!"

"Jazz!" Prowl shouted in surprise as she raced over as the saboteur transformed. "What are you doing?!"

"I believe the term is 'assisting the rescue mission'," he replied as he landed perfectly on his feet and grinned at her.

"Are you insane?!" she demanded, ignoring the confused looks from the younger warriors. "You should still be on Cybertron! There's a reason you weren't brought along in the first place!"

Jazz shook his head before smirking. "Hey, I've made it this far, haven't I?" he asked. "Just cuz I'm blind don't mean I'm useless."

Prowl frowned before stepping away from him, grinding her dental bands together and ignoring the gawks from the younger warriors. Apparently, none of them had been aware that one of the highest ranking mechs in the army was indeed blind. His visor, as well as hiding his milky white optics, served as a means for him to interpret the world around him. Oriona wasn't sure how, exactly, but she assumed it ran on heat signatures that hooked directly into his CPU. She had never bothered to ask considering it never bothered her that he could still "see" when he was blind. He had been one of the coolest teachers at the Academy when she had been in school, far younger than everyone else and pushed the issue of getting along with the other students more than the other teachers.

Prowl growled that him being blind wasn't the point before firing her rifle at the mech that had been trying to sneak up on Jazz. The white mech looked behind him curiously before asking what she shot at; obviously he hadn't been aware of the sneaking mech at all. Or, if he had been, he was feigning innocence. She glared at him before Bluestreak shouted at them to hit the dirt as she blasted a stag beetle Terrorcon out of the sky. Oriona lunged forward and started shooting at the Terrorcons that had come back for a second try.

She watched as the Terrorcons circled around to attack again. Scorponok ordered her Terrorcons to attack, smirking as they unloaded a barrage of lasers into their counterparts. The Terrorcons ceased when nothing else moved and swayed slightly as they waited for more enemies. Scorponok smirked before she gasped as Shockblast swooped by, shooting at the ground around them. They growled up at the circling mech, their claws tearing at the ground in frustration as Scorponok told them to stand down.

Oriona aimed at him only to blink in surprise as he howled in pain and started tumbling out of the sky. A loud cry of "yeehaw" before a shuttle dropped into view. Shockblast transformed and snarled at the approaching shuttle, aiming his gun at it and firing wildly. The shuttle dodged easily, sneering and taunting the mech as it circled. Oriona stared at the shuttle in confusion as it made the psychotic mech fire around blindly, the lasers tearing across the sky and almost hit the other Seekers.

The shuttle circled once more before shooting Shockblast repeatedly, earning a strangled yowl of pain. The purple mech fell back and glared at the shuttle before ordering whatever mechs and Terrorcons left to retreat. Everyone let out cheers before punching the air in victory, although Prowl was determined to do a damage report before celebrating. She heard Megatron hit the ground behind her seconds before she was hoisted into the air.

She squealed in surprise before laughing and hugging her mate contently. He spun around on the spot for a moment, holding her close before stopping and staring at the sky. She murmured his name in confusion before he let out a vicious snarl and pulled her closer to his chest, baring his fangs as the other Seekers dropped down beside him. She followed his line of vision and tilted her head in confusion as she watched the shuttle transform. The mech hovering in the air was glaring down at Megatron, his wings quivering in outrage. She wondered who it was and why he would have such a negative reaction to seeing Megatron; as far as she knew, all the Autobots had accepted the mech's leadership next to her own.

"So, you think you own her now?" the mech demanded as he descended to the ground and landed not far from them. "You win a war and suddenly you think you OWN the leader of the Autobots, like she's some sort of war spoils?"

Oriona froze in shock, both from the comment and the voice. It was so familiar...but it couldn't be. There was no way...unless....

"Jetfire?" she asked in amazement.

"Hey doll," the mech replied, his orange visor flashing.

"You're...alive," she murmured before laughing. "Primus above! You're alive!"

She wiggled out of Megatron's embrace in spite of his protest and raced over to her old SIC. She hugged him tightly, not really believing her optics, and pulled him close enough to hear his spark pulsing behind his armor. She pulled back and smiled up at him, shaking her head as happy tears sprang to her optics; he was alive! She was ecstatic to see him alive and well, even with a new look to boot. And yet, after all the time they spent together before his sacrifice, she was unable to really feel anything more than joy towards seeing an old friend again.

She smiled before stepping back, murmuring how good it was to see him again. She could feel his grin through his facemask, yellow optics no doubt flashing behind his visor, if his optics were still yellow, and immediately wished that Megatron was behind her. She was reassured when his stomach was pressed against her back, his territorial growl ringing in her audios. Jetfire bristled before he started growling in return, his head raising in an attempt to tower over Megatron.

"What, not going to throw fireballs at me this time?" Jetfire demanded.

"Fireballs?" Oriona asked.

"I have no idea," Megatron replied before wrapping an arm around her chest and pulling her close. "But I have a right mind to send him back to the Matrix."

"Megatron!" she hissed before glaring at him. "We need all the help we can get."

He growled before pressing his face into her neck, his fury seeping down the bond. She guessed it was a Seeker thing to be able to tell potential threats to their mates because Starscream and Thundercracker were growling just as loudly. Jetfire looked at the other two Seekers before letting out a angry snort and turning to look at the ship.

Megatron growled again before kissing her neck and picking her up. Prowl didn't give Jetfire any chance to relax before she was ordering him to take a sweep of the area to make sure the Terrorcons were gone. When he demanded to know what authority she had, she replied; rather smugly; that since the Autobots were no more, his rank was gone. He shook on the spot for a moment before taking to the air and blasting off, not even gracing any of them with his usual joking remark.

"All in favour of making his life a living Pit say 'aye'," Skywarp called.

"Aye!" Starscream called.

"Aye!" Thundercracker agreed.

"Aye!" Wingsabre shouted.

"Aye!" Side Swipe chimed.

"Side Swipe!"

"What? He's causing problems for Mom, so I'll cause problems for him!" Side Swipe smirked.

Oriona groaned before rubbing the bridge of her nose. She had a feeling that things were about to get annoying really fast. She just hoped that her son would not make himself a huge target for Jetfire's obvious wraith. She didn't want to have to be picking him up in pieces and piecing him back together again with a wrench and crazy glue.


	17. Exploration

Chapter 17 Explorations

Oriona stared around at the wide expanse of white as they trooped out into the snow-covered world. It had to be the coldest planet they had been on so far, and there were many in the solar system, with the surface buried miles beneath their feet by massive glaciers. There were energon veins flowing somewhere below all the ice and snow, which was the reason they were there to begin with. From Cybertron, Kup was sending numerous energon towers for them to mine below the surface and take the resource to help power and reenergize their homeworld. There were more than enough planets to mine that they did not need to drain a planet dry in order to help get their slowly dying planet back up and running.

Their job was to find somewhere for the energon tower to be placed. The area had to be free of enough ice and snow that the tower could reach the surface and pierce down far enough to reach the energon deposits that lay in abundant supply. Unfortunately, that was proving to be harder than they had originally thought. Starscream's hypothesis that they could spot a bare patch of land from their ship had turned out to be incorrect. Now they were down on the surface looking for the bare spot on foot. And to top it all off, it was very, _very_ cold outside of the ship.

"It's freezing!" Flamewar commented as her wings trembled. "Mech, I can't feel my wingtips!"

"At least the blizzard died down," Thundercracker commented as he pressed close to his mate's side. "Otherwise, we'd be in even more trouble. I wouldn't want to fly through that kind of storm."

Flamewar nodded before looking around as she stepped into her mate's offered body, rubbing her head against his when she found nothing of interest. Oriona was always fascinated by the odd displays of affection that the Seekers showed each other. They were almost animalistic in nature, driven by primitive needs that made most of the population nervous or embarrassed. They rubbed against each other at any interval of time, purring and cooing loudly as if there was no one else around to hear them, and had their own set of customs that shaped how they lived. They could turn to lust-driven individuals at the drop of a helm, rubbing against each other in ways that just screamed "interface with me", and change back to controlled adults in the same amount of time.

Yet, in spite of all the things that would have normally sent most Cybertronians into the less than favourable positions in society, the Seekers fought back. They pushed their kind to the fullest extent of their minds, bodies, and beliefs, challenging them to outdo each other when competition arose. Starscream was the planet's top scientist, unmatched in any field and an expert on a number of different topics. Thundercracker was a crack-shot, able to hit any target given to him and still be able to fight hand-to-hand if he needed to. Skywarp could teleport farther than any ground-pounder with a similar ability, although it did cause a large drain on his systems and a smack over the head from Quickstart for being stupid. And Flamewar was one of the top swordmechs on Cybertron, able to hold her own against even the most brutish of mechs and have enough power afterwards to kick their afts.

Oriona glanced at her mate and couldn't repress the shudder of awe. Megatron had easily been the biggest mech around before his upgrade, Mirage's previous body not included in the number considering it had been a drone. Now he seemed even bigger because of his wings and wide chest, something that struck a buried fear within her. She had learnt to be fearful of large mechs because her father, who had towered over her when she was younger, had struck out at her if she opened her mouth. She was well past that stage now, having grown use to working and living around large mechs, but just looking at Megatron, and stepping away from the fact that she loved him unconditionally, one could see that he was a truly terrifying individual.

Even Wingsabre, for all her quirks, was a formidable opponent on the battlefield. None of the Seekers were pushovers; to think that was a soldier's biggest mistake. And that mistake would most likely be their last.

"Are we going to get moving?" Arcee asked as Wheelie huddled against her leg. "It's cold enough to turn us into Form-sicles."

Wingsabre gave her a look before asking where she came up with that word, then proceeded to ask the others what flavour they thought they'd be. Needless to say, the Seekers, namely Skywarp, managed to turn the idea dirty in less than five words. Megatron, quick to irritation in the cold, snapped at them to save the answers and move out. He stormed out over the snow with his Seekers right behind him, giggling as they went about a "strawberry flavoured Starscream", leaving Oriona to encourage Wheelie to follow while the others struggled to keep up with him. Wheelie poked at the ground with his foot before timidly stepping forward, following his mother as Arcee strode out after the others.

Oriona smiled down at him, making sure to match his strides so that he didn't fall behind. Arcee kept calling and encouraging him to keep walking, knowing that he would only move if he knew she was out of reach to carry him. Wheelie kept moving after her, chirping at her to wait up when he started sinking in the drifts. Oriona pulled him out every time he sank in too deep to crawl out, gently encouraging him to keep going even though she could see the spark of adventure slowly dying each time he had to be rescued. She heard Starscream call to them to keep up so that they wouldn't get separated, his voice already sounding too far away for them to catch up at their current pace.

"Maybe I should carry him," Arcee commented as she stopped to wait as Wheelie sank into the snow again. "This is too much for him."

Wheelie gave her a small glare before struggling to keep moving, his whole frame already shivering from the cold. There were several crunching footsteps before the others hovered behind Arcee, staring down at the sparkling as he started sinking again. Side Swipe piped up that the snow was really deep here and Demolisher had already sank in twice so they couldn't expect a sparkling to do much better. Megatron snorted before grumbling that they should have left him on the ship, that it was safer and warmer there than out in a hostile world. Arcee's optics dimmed slightly before Wheelie pushed against her leg and told her, in his typical rhyming fashion, that he was fine.

Hot Shot commented that Wheelie knew his limits, even if they thought it was too much for him. Wheelie chirped his thanks before everyone started moving again, wanting to get the job over with as quickly as possible. Oriona glared at Megatron's head, feeling his resentment for the sparkling flow down the bond; he was always so grouchy when he started getting cold. She glanced down at Wheelie and saw that her expression was mirrored on his face. He bent down and gathered the snow around his feet into a ball, squashing it down into a compact sphere.

"Big, mean mechs should be hit with a ball, that way they can do nothing but fall," he stated seriously before pouting and dropping the snowball back to the ground, almost as if he knew he'd never be able to hit Megatron.

Oriona smirked devilishly before calling the femmes back over to her; she was going to need back up for what she had in mind. Wingsabre seemed to pick up the excitement in her voice over the com-link and demanded to know what she was planning the moment she was within audio range. Flamewar's wings were still trembling from the cold, but the excitement in her optics seemed to be making her forget about it for the time being. Scorponok tilted her head curiously as she held a semi-frozen Terrorcon panther to her chest, the poor thing too loyal and determined to stay with her to admit to being cold. Bluestreak and Tracks were taking turns asking her what she was planning, glaring at the other when they cut each other off. Prowl, who had her doorwings folded down, was giving her a level gaze as she shook slightly from the cold.

Oriona whispered that the mechs were being a little too serious and she had had enough. She explained that there were tons of weapons around them to help alleviate the problem and everyone immediately started looking around. Wheelie started bouncing up and down, chirping at her to let him help. She bent down and ruffled his helm, telling him that he could help so long as he stayed away from some of the bigger mechs. Wingsabre asked what their weapons were and Oriona smirked before rolling a snowball up and holding it out to her.

"Snow, naturally," she replied.

"Snow?" Tracks asked in confusion.

"Oh, a snowball fight!" Flamewar chirped. "I've heard of those! Thundercracker joined in on one when he was stationed at Tundra City a few years ago. Apparently they're lots of fun."

Wingsabre took the snowball and rolled it around in her hand for a moment before asking how they were supposed to sneak up on the others; they were probably waiting. Oriona lifted an optic ridge and commented that they were too frozen and foul-tempered to wait for them. Bluestreak giggled before she started rolling snowballs, asking Wheelie if he was going to help. Prowl smirked before helping to make her own batch of arsenal, muttering that they were going to get it back royally if the mechs caught them.

It didn't take them long to make enough snowballs to give the mechs a good wallop. And, even if they ran out, there was always time to make more during the attack. Arcee helped Wheelie up onto her back, smiling fondly as he giggled with excitement. They all set off to where the mechs were, radioing ahead to find out where they had vanished off to. When they came into sight, they were still moving away, their frames stooped from the cold. The femmes, having grown warm from the process of making snowballs, smirked at one another and chuckled about the mechs being sparklings.

Oriona moved ahead of them, making progress quickly over the snow. As she caught up with the mechs, she slipped one of the snowballs she was carrying into her hand and smirked. She called to Megatron to wait up, that her legs weren't that long, and he stopped, a very audible sigh escaping him. She smirked as she slowed down enough to get a good aim at his head, calling that he needed to lighten up. He turned around just as she let the snowball fly and she grimaced; he wasn't supposed to turn around.

His head snapped backwards slightly as the snowball hit him in the face, making him stumble backwards in surprise. He spluttered for a moment, his red optics wide in surprise before he stared at her from around the snow that had gotten stuck just under his optic. Oriona grinned nervously before Wingsabre shouted "charge" behind her and a snowball whipped past Megatron's head to smack Skywarp straight in the aft.

All the mechs stopped and turned to look, only to get incredibly well aimed snowballs to the face, sending a few of them toppling backwards. Oriona smirked before whooping as she let loose another snowball, bumping shoulders with Arcee as she got close enough for Wheelie to hit Springer with his snowball. Thundercracker recovered the fastest, shouting at Flamewar that she was going to get it for pulling a fast one while he gathered snow and ducked another snowball. He whipped it at his mate and struck her against the side of her head, making her yelp and drop her load of snowballs.

She shook her head and growled playfully before grabbing another handful of snow and whipping it at him. Side Swipe and Bluestreak were already chasing each other around with handfuls of snow, laughing as they pelted each other with their "weapons". Tracks and Wheeljack were struggling in the snow, growling and shoving snow in each other's faces, the fun of the game lost to the fact that they wanted each other dead. Prowl was lobbing snowballs at Jazz, the look on her face showing that she didn't actually want to hit him. That, however, changed the moment Jazz snapped up from the ground and whipped a snowball at her face. From then on, it was a "brutal" fight to the death between the couple, Jazz hooting and hollering at her to give it her all while Prowl snapped that she was going to hold his head in the snow until he stopped twitching.

Hot Shot was helping Springer get Arcee, the single femme more than holding her own against the other two mechs. Scorponok had Ironhide on the run, her Terrorcon companion chasing after them with snowballs packed into its cannons. Ironhide had abandoned Kicker to face off with Wheelie, the smallest mech laughing wildly as he and Kicker threw snowballs at each other. Wingsabre had the tables turned on her and was being chased by Starscream and Skywarp, squealing whenever the snowballs struck her back. Skywarp was attacked from behind by Snowcat and both of them went rolling away as they tried to shove snow in each other's face.

Oriona glanced at Megatron and smirked as he watched the others run around like fools. He tilted his head curiously before shooting her a glance that immediately made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't have time to react before Megatron tackled her into the snow, making her cry out in surprise as he shoved a handful of snow in her face. She spluttered for a moment before she started struggling and kicking snow at him, laughing as he instead got her flailing feet against his legs. She managed to scoop up a handful of snow and slipped it under a gap in his armor, earning a loud holler of "cold" as he backed up quickly.

She laughed as she in turn tackled him and sent them both rolling backwards into the snow. She squealed as he fought against her grip, nipping at her fingers as she tried to shove a handful of snow into his face, only to find it turning into water at the heat they were giving off for the exertion. She laughed before shoving the water into his face, ignoring the fact that she could feel the water turning to ice on her armor. Megatron growled playfully before finally managing to roll over and pin her down, only for Side Swipe and Ironhide to bowl him over.

He laughed as his sons started shovelling snow on him, only to find themselves under a mountain of snow as Demolisher joined in to help. Oriona barely had time to gather her footing when she found herself under an assault from the Elite Seekers. She struggled to get away as Starscream and Thundercracker held her down so that Skywarp could shove snow in her face. She wiggled desperately, yelling at them that they were cheating, and ended up with a mouthful of snow. She spat it out with a glare at the black Seeker as he laughed, only to yelp as Hot Shot attacked from behind with a handful of snow down the teleporter's back. Skywarp let out a loud squeal before dancing away, shouting that the snow was cold.

Thundercracker let out a yelp as Wheeljack Tracks tackled him and sent them tumbling off of her. Starscream was tackled by Bluestreak and Wheelie, both of them hooting as they sent the smallest Seeker tumbling into the snow. Oriona finally managed to get to her feet, looking around as she struggled to catch her breath. Everyone was rolling around in the snow, whipping snowballs at each other, or participating in other various forms of horseplay. She smiled to herself as she straightened up; her plan to lighten the mood had worked.

There was a loud squeal of pain before several curses split the air. Everyone turned to watch Demolisher stumble backwards, clutching his face as Snowcat ran around him in hysterical circles. Megatron looked over and frowned, Ironhide's head trapped under his arm as his sparkling struggled to get away. Demolisher glared at Snowcat before pulling his hand away from his face, revealing a darkening bruise just under his eye.

"There was a rock in there!" he snarled.

"I didn't know!" Snowcat squealed as he shifted his weight from one ski to the other. "I swear, if I'd known it I wouldn't have thrown it!"

Oriona could just feel the tension rising before Starscream let out a loud snort. She looked over at him and saw that he was crouching against the ground, Wheelie looking curiously over his shoulder from where he was clinging to the Seeker's neck. Starscream let out a soft chuckle before standing up and announcing that they had reached the soil. Everyone stared at him in surprise before looking around in awe. Somehow, they had managed, through a combination of scooping snow and melting it with body heat, to dig down through the glacier and had reached the ground. It was wide enough around that the base of the energon tower could fit neatly inside it and be able to drill down into the crust of the planet.

Oriona chuckled before radioing Kup and telling him to send the last tower towards Blizzard Planet. Once again, the mechs lacked any sort of creativity when they named the planet and they were stuck calling it that name. Kup asked for the coordinates for where he was supposed to drop the tower and she sent them to him after asking Starscream the same question. As soon as Kup cut the link she ordered everyone out of the crater they had made. Everyone immediately sought out one of the Seekers to hitch a ride on since there was no way to climb out.

Megatron's arm wrapped around her waist and he kissed her cheek before lifting off. She twisted enough to cling to his chest, smirking as he let out a low purr of approval. They landed back up in the cold air and she was more aware of the ice on her armor than before. She didn't even need to give the order to head back to the ship before the Seekers were flying out over the barren landscape to where their ship was sitting between two huge cliffs.

It felt colder in the air, but it took less time to get back to the ship than it would have taken if they had just walked. In no time they were scrambling to get inside the warm ship, shivering to get warm as Springer started to lift off the planet. The Seekers were all shivering from the cold and taking turns breaking ice off each other's wings. Wheelie was still hugging Starscream's neck as tightly as he could, shivering as he tried to get warm against the larger mech's chassis.

"Poor thing," Arcee cooed as she reached up and took her sparkling into her arms, relieving Starscream of his weight. "You poor little thing."

"Wheelie really cold," he whimpered before grinning weakly. "Maybe plan a little too bold?"

Arcee smiled before nuzzling him and holding him close to her body. "Maybe just a little," she replied.

He smiled before cuddling against her and letting out a content whirl. Springer glanced back and smiled faintly at the sight, ignoring the fact that Bluestreak was giggling over the fact that he had gone "mushy". Oriona shivered before excusing herself, planning on heading for her room and taking a long, hot shower, and had Megatron follow her without another word. She rolled her optics as his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to his dripping frame.

"I don't need a body-guard," she commented.

"Maybe, but that shower sounds very inviting," he replied with a grin.

"Stop reading my thoughts," she grumbled.

"I'm reading them from now on so you can't sneak up on me and hit me in the face with a snowball again," he replied before pinching her aft.

She glared at him and was about to hiss that he didn't need to hurt her when she heard voices up ahead. She signalled for her mate to be silent as she crept forward quietly. She poked her head around the corner of the hallway and was slightly surprised to find Demolisher and Snowcat standing there. The latter seemed desperate and the former just seemed aggravated. He threw his arms up in the air with a loud snarl and shoved his fist into the wall.

"I'm sick of this!" Demolisher bellowed.

"I said I was sorry!" Snowcat yipped, hopping back a pace. "Dem, I didn't...."

"That's not the point," Demolisher snarled before rounding on the smaller mech. "I'm sick of this and I'm sick of you!"

Snowcat's shoulders fell as he shook his head. "Dem...I don't...."

"You aren't the same mech I use to know," Demolisher growled, his shoulders shaking.

"I've always been this way," Snowcat replied, his posture and head giving the impression of a grin.

"No, you haven't," Demolisher spat. "The only reason you keep thinking that is because everyone's too polite to admit that Oriona screwed up and fragged your CPU over when she saved your life." He seemed to be ignoring Snowcat's horrified face as he took a step forward and shoved his face in the smaller mech's. "You're name is _Cyclonus_, you don't slagging _yodel_, and you don't fragging ski around like a lunatic! You were a helicopter! My partner! My confident and my friend! Now," he took a step back and hissed at him, "you're a stranger to me. I don't even know you."

"Dem," Snowcat whimpered as he shoved past him. "Dem...please...don't."

"Get lost, you yodeling freak," Demolisher spat before he vanished around the other corner.

Oriona looked back at Megatron and saw a confused and worried expression on his face. She looked back at Snowcat and was sure he was breaking apart on the inside just by the way he was shaking. He called after Demolisher twice before he turned and ran towards them, taking the corner and continuing on without sparing them so much as a glance. She stared after him until Megatron gave her a gentle push forward, whispering that there was nothing they could do.

"This...is because of what I've done?" she whispered.

"No," Megatron reassured her before scooping her up and hugging her close. "Demolisher is just striking out at anyone that he feels is responsible. You did what Primus wanted, even if you were not aware of it. Cyclonus became Snowcat for a reason and it appears that Demolisher can no longer accept that his friend is what he sees before him."

Oriona looked down into her lap as she rested her head against Megatron's chest. Even if Snowcat had changed, it didn't explain why Demolisher would explode like that. Was it that big of a deal if he had changed a little? Unless...Demolisher and Cyclonus....

"Oh my Primus," she whispered as he optics widened. "Were Demolisher and Cyclonus...?"

"A couple?" Megatron asked with a sad laugh. "The rest of us saw it but they were too busy arguing and fighting to see it too. I think they realized everything after the war but were too scared to change their trust with each other. Now, Demolisher has realized what he has lost and is furious with everything."

Oriona felt her spark sink more before she pressed her face into Megatron's chest. It _was_ all her fault that Demolisher had exploded on Snowcat. What had she done?

**Author's note:** What flavour of Form-sicle is your favourite? Orange Oriona, Strawberry Starscream, Tornado Thundercracker, or something else? I think you can see I'm having too much fun with that one thought; but wouldn't they make interesting flavours? Or frozen treats?


	18. Finding Unicron

Chapter 18 Finding Unicron

Things around the base had been rocky ever since Demolisher and Snowcat had their falling out. Snowcat barely seemed able to lift his feet during the day and would stare after Demolisher if the mech left the room without looking at him. Which happened a lot. Oriona was desperate to fix the mess she had made, but Megatron told her numerous times to stay out of the fight. He warned her that sticking her nose in would end up with her in a med bay incredibly fast being treated for laser wounds to the face. Demolisher saw her as the cause of this and trying to fix it would only end with him lashing out at her instead of at the other mech.

They had been gathering energon steadily for over a month since the energon towers had been set up. They had enough to power all of Cybertron for a few years, if Starscream's calculations were correct, which they usually were. And there was still plenty of energon left on the planets for them to come back to harvest if they didn't get Cybertron stable again in time. They had plans on which planets to mine and the impact everything would have on the solar system was already being weighed. Nothing that would harm the young life growing was going to be considered in any form. Oriona was making sure of that.

At last, Rodimus had finally shown up and set up a form of communications between themselves and Alpha-Q at the center of the star. The mix-matched mech was content to give his opinions on things that they were considering, happy to have someone to talk to at last. He was amazingly knowledgeable in scientific topics, his jargon matching Starscream's intelligence level almost perfectly. It was humorous to listen to them bicker between about various plants and animals on the planets or about the geological make-up of each planet and how they differed.

Scorponok always had a reason to be absent during the meetings and no one felt any resentment for it. She didn't trust Alpha-Q anymore and refused to speak with him or even listen to his voice for a second. Ironhide was even more protective over her when the insane Transformer called in and would personally escort her out of the room. All of them could see their relationship twisting a little into a form of possession on Ironhide's part, but at the same time Scorponok was taking on an almost equally possessive aspect to her boyfriend.

The two of them could be found at any part of the ship twisted around each other and gripping their partner as tightly as they could. It almost looked like a domination battle, each one struggling to prove their power, until one of them burst out laughing and pulled the other into a fierce kiss. Oriona made the comment of wondering where they got that attitude from and Flamewar burst into laughter before demanding to know if she was serious. She laughed harder at Oriona's baffled expression before explaining just where the young couple got their attitude; her and Megatron.

Oriona wasn't aware that she and her mate had such physical dominance displays and told Flamewar that immediately. Flamewar replied that while they never physically fought with each other anywhere outside of the training room, but that their verbal squabbles and quick-witted comments were more than enough to make up for it. She immediately felt bad and apologized for her behaviour, but Flamewar reassured her that it was entertaining and a stress-relief to see their leaders able to forget their duties and joke around like a normal couple their age. Megatron made the comment that there was nothing normal about them before they became leaders and, without missing a beat, Oriona replied that she had always been normal; he was the one that thought he was out of the world. She only regretted saying it when he picked her up and told her that she needed to be punished before promptly leaving the room with her kicking and screaming the whole way.

On the side note, it had been a very entertaining night for the two of them, complete with several overloads and much petting and pawing.

Back on topic, one of their more pressing issues was tracking down Unicron before the thieving traitors had a chance to revive him. They were doing a good job collecting energon from their less monitored stations, but they couldn't stand their own when backup arrived. Shockblast was running his mechs ragged with all the strikes on their energon mines and Megatron was surprised that most of them hadn't ditched him. Apparently, none of the traitors had been very good workers during the war. Even with those obvious set-backs, they were gathering energon quickly and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Unicron was on his way back. But the pace at which he was returning was unknown to them and that was why they had to find him as soon as they could. They had to take him out before he could destroy the young and nutrient-rich solar system.

"Any sign of him?" Oriona asked as she walked into the command center.

"No," Arcee replied as she split her attention between the screen and Wheelie playing "patty-cake" with her on her lap. "Not so much as a blip on the radar."

"Where could they be hiding?" she wondered out loud as she sighed and sat down next to the pink mother.

Arcee shrugged her shoulders before smiling as Wheelie started tapping his hands against hers in an attempt to get her to start playing again. Oriona smiled before activating the screen in front of her and starting her own search at a farther position from the base (ship) on Jungle Planet. She wasn't expecting to find anything out of the ordinary since they had been looking for ages, going over the same area time and time again with no results. She hated not being able to find something that _big_ when it was that much of a threat to the universe.

She sighed slightly before she felt one of the Terrorcon panthers jump up onto her lap and curl up, wanting attention. She ran a hand over its back, smiling to herself as it let out a happy purr and arched into her hand like a pet cybercat. The Terrorcons were affectionate little things, better than any pet existing on Cybertron at the moment. Side Swipe made the joke of marketing them and wound up face to stinger with Scorponok; she had failed to see the humour in the joke. They were her soldiers and just happened to make nice lap-pets on their time off; they were not going to be sold to the masses as cute, cuddly pets.

She felt a hand on her shoulder before Megatron's mouth was pressed against her neck, letting out a soft murmur of greeting. She shot him a look before turning to kiss his cheek, earning a soft squeal of "ew" from Wheelie. Megatron purred gently into her audio before wrapping his arms around her waist, lifted her off her chair, and cuddled her.

"Any luck?" he asked as he set her back down.

"None," she replied with a sigh. "Where could they be? Unicron is huge; how can he hide that slagging well?"

Megatron shrugged before straightening up and greeting someone at the door. Judging by the bitter tone in her mate's voice, it was Jetfire who had just walked in. She didn't bother looking around to check if her assumption was correct as the Terrorcon jumped off of her lap with a delighted meow. She heard someone making a protest and looked around with a smirk on her face; it was always entertaining to watch the Terrorcons interact with Jetfire. Currently, this one had its front paws wrapped around his leg and attempting to dominate it with several loud yowls.

Megatron was laughing as Jetfire attempted to kick the cat off, yelling at it to let go. Wheelie covered his eyes and giggled that the kitty was being silly, missing his mother's attempts to keep a straight face. Oriona shook her head before whistling for the cat to get off of Jetfire's leg, more worried about it getting injured and having to explain to Scorponok how her soldier was hurt than for her former Second's dignity. It looked at her and made a pouting face before jumping off and sulking over to her.

"I think it likes you, Jetfire," Megatron laughed before squatting down to pet the cat's head, earning a deep rumbling purr from the Terrorcon.

Jetfire glared at him and his hands twitched repeatedly, almost as if he wanted nothing more than to place them around the massive mech's throat. Oriona gave him a bored look before asking why he was in early since his shift didn't start for another hour. He replied that he had been planning on taking a flight around base, hinting that he'd like her to tag along. She gave him a stern look in response before telling him that just because she was a commanding officer did not mean she could shirk her duties.

"Well, what's he doing here then?" Jetfire demanded. "He doesn't do slag all!"

"Jetfire," she warned before Megatron smirked.

"Oriona doesn't mind doing the boring tasks that grunts usually do," he stated. "But we're short on grunts, since you're too lazy to do the work, so the rest of the ground-based community has decided to pick up the slack." He ignored Arcee's glare at being referred to as a grunt as he moved his wings around. "As for what I do; I make sure the rest of the soldiers are fit for battle. We can't have troops unprepared for a fight when they arise."

"How typical," Jetfire sneered. "The leader of the Decepticons is only interested in fighting. And here I thought you were making progress towards a peaceful society."

Megatron barely acknowledged his comment and instead leant on the back of her chair. She glanced at him and wasn't surprised to see a confident smirk on his face. Jetfire wasn't dumb enough to try to challenge his position; he wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against the large mech. Lucky strikes amounted to nothing when Megatron was focused solely on fighting; he could beat anyone except for Oriona if she could get at him quick enough. Everyone else was beaten in less time it took to say "Prime save our sparks".

He leant down and nuzzled her antenna, whispering that he loved her. She whispered back that he didn't have to try to annoy Jetfire and received a nip to her antenna in reply. She squeaked before she shot him a scolding look. At the moment the word "don't" left her lips, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her optic and looked at the screen. She frowned at the sight of a huge asteroid belt situated just beyond Blizzard Planet; that wasn't there the last time they ran a scan.

"Can you leave my antenna alone long enough to look at the screen?" she asked before pointing at the screen.

He released her antenna from his teasing mouth and frowned slightly, the downward curve of his mouth brushing her antenna. He leant over her and stared at the screen for a moment before commenting that the asteroid belt was new.

"I'll get a trine set up to go have a look," he added before pulling back. "Get in touch with Alpha-Q and warn him that our enemies might be closer than expected."

She nodded before he turned and left the room quickly. She would have to talk to the crazy mech herself it seems; probably for the best since Megatron and Alpha-Q were not on each other's good side after the rift incident. She started typing at the console in front of her, telling Arcee to get the others in here for a meeting and to help her set up a video feed with Megatron so that they could see where that asteroid belt came from. She wasn't that talented with the computer system to do that by herself. Not that Arcee was any better, but she was better than Oriona was.

She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and she bit back the irritated growl rising in her throat. She glared at Jetfire as he leant over the chair and attempted to subtly hug her. Being subtly never had been his strongest personality. She cleared her throat, hoping she wouldn't have to verbally tell him to get off. He didn't get the hint and ultimately let out a squawk of surprise as he was roughly dragged off of her by a steaming Demolisher. She guessed that he and Snowcat had just finished fighting over something for him to be that angry and actually attack someone.

"Don't you have a CPU in that thick cranial unit?" the green mech demanded before snorting and crossing his arms. "Megatron will crush your spark if he ever found out you touched her like that."

"I'm not scared of him," Jetfire snorted. "He's not as tough as you'd like him to seem."

"Then at least respect him," Demolisher growled. "Megatron is your commander and your leader. I thought Autobots were downright crazy over the chain of command and obeying without hesitation."

Jetfire sneered at him before Oriona stood up to address the soldiers that had walked into the room; she didn't need a fight on her hands. She ignored Jetfire's attempt at making an advance on her while explaining that Megatron and two of his Seekers were going out to check on a newly discovered asteroid belt. Jetfire could try all he wanted but she was not going to leave her mate for him; she must have told him that fifty times already. And yet he kept trying as if he never heard her. It was annoying beyond anything else and she just wanted him to stop and understand that she did not love him the same way anymore. Megatron always had and always would have her spark, just as she had his.

She noticed that Springer and Skywarp were not present in the soldiers that were standing in front of her; Megatron went with the ability to get out of trouble fast and extra power instead of speed and agility. She was fairly surprised by her mate's choice considering how much he preferred Starscream's company to Skywarp's or Springer's. Perhaps he was making progress in healing the rift he had caused between himself and most of the older Autobots. Starscream gave her one look before walking past her to set up a video feed from Skywarp's cockpit, telling him the minute his voice filtered through to save them the pathetic dirty jokes.

Skywarp then proceeded to squeal loudly and almost topple out of the air amidst the laughter of his two companions. He demanded to know why he couldn't have forewarned him that Starscream was going to eavesdrop on his conversation; had he known he might have told a better joke. Megatron chuckled that he had said that they would set up a video stream with them; it was his own fault for saying something stupid without thinking. Skywarp muttered something that Oriona couldn't understand and Flamewar called that they could hear him and she didn't think that Snowcat needed to hear his father bad-mouthing their leader. Skywarp shouted at her that she was a traitor before lapsing into silence at Megatron's deep chuckle; the one that pretty much meant "you're dead when this is over".

Oriona shook her head as she watched the three mechs head for the asteroid belt. Megatron ordered them to be on full alert as they nimbly dodged a few stray chunks of rock and metal; he obviously doubted their ability to dodge anything bigger than a laser. A few minutes later, the video feed showed a spinning picture that made her feel queasy after a few moments of watching. Springer's voice shouted at Skywarp to stop goofing around and to actually take the job seriously for once. The spinning Seeker shouted that he was taking it seriously and that it wasn't his fault some of the asteroids were stealth ninjas.

Flamewar commented that a broken motor could sneak up on Skywarp, rolling her optics with a nasty grin on her face. Skywarp once again yelled that she was a traitor before the video feed finally levelled out. At that moment, Alpha-Q's voice filtered through one of the speakers as Starscream finally got a hold of him. He chimed his usual greeting before asking what was going on.

"We found an asteroid belt that wasn't there before," Oriona replied. "We're investigating it."

"And what has it showed so far?" the calmest of Alpha-Q's personalities asked.

"Rocks, rocks, and more rocks," Skywarp whined over the video feed. "Honestly, there's nothing living here besides us! And that's saying something considering Megatron's spark doesn't pulsate."

Megatron let out a snort before growling at Skywarp to take things seriously; he obviously didn't find the joke funny. Skywarp blew a raspberry at him before the screen spun around and around again and was accompanied by Skywarp's terrified screaming. It made everyone laugh, except Jetfire of course, and the remaining Seekers shouted comments about Skywarp being an idiot. Oriona guessed that Megatron had rammed into him and sent him spinning since there was no sound of laserfire. Alpha-Q let out one of his infamous giggles before asking if Megatron was always so badly tempered.

Oriona replied that, yes, he was always bad-tempered, even before she met him and tamed him. Jetfire shot her a look before Starscream snorted that with friends like Skywarp it was hard not to be foul-tempered. Side Swipe let out a low snort of laughter before whispering something to Bluestreak who giggled and nodded. Oriona felt a momentary feeling of dread grip her fuel tank before Springer's shout of shock drew her attention away from her son. Her optics widened at the image on the screen.

Floating in the middle of the asteroid belt and drawing in the smaller chucks of rock was Unicron. He was almost entirely healed and, if the image wasn't corrupted somehow, he had his head back. Everyone gasped at the sight, whispering in terror to one another. How had he managed to regrow his head? Last time they checked, Alpha-Q had ripped it off when he fled from Shockblast. Oriona's back-strut quivered in terror before she heard Megatron curse up a storm.

"After all the effort to kill him he just comes back!" Megatron snarled before the image on the screen flipped around to show him speeding towards the planet-sized Transformer.

"What the slag do you think you're doing?!" Oriona demanded. "Megatron, get back here!"

Skywarp and Springer were shouting after him desperately before the video link was cut. The last image sent was of Megatron's body getting closer; they were going after him. Well, that was slightly reassuring knowing that he had two well-trained soldiers with him instead of being alone to take on whatever Unicron threw at him. Starscream was at the console instantly and typing away in an attempt to get back in contact with them, resorting to swearing at the screen and pounding the keyboard when it failed to connect.

'Megatron!' she called desperately down their bond, her panic amplifying every minute. 'What the slag are you planning?!'

'Meet us here,' he stated calmly, his anger and hatred trickling through as he tried to hold it back. 'We will be waiting.'

'What are you planning?' she demanded.

'We're going to take this slagger out once and for all,' he replied bitterly. 'I won't risk anymore time waiting for Shockblast to get him operational again. We will scope out the area and try to find a way in."

'Be careful," she whispered.

'Aren't I always?' he teased before backing away from the bond.

She looked around the room before sighing and relaying the message to everyone. Starscream growled about Megatron being stupidly impulsive as ever before he started ordering everyone to prepare the _Miranda II_ for departure. Side Swipe rested a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly at her and she nodded her thanks. She knew that Megatron wouldn't do anything too stupid while waiting for them; maybe take a few pot-shots at the guards stationed on the Chaos Bringer. Hopefully nothing beyond that. Hopefully.

**Author's note:** Happy Easter everyone!


	19. Into Unicron

Chapter 19 Into Unicron

Oriona shivered as she watched Unicron's massive body come into view. She couldn't believe after all their hard work on getting the planets protected, the Chaos Bringer was going to tearing it apart without a second though. But that disbelief had to be pushed aside in favour of planning their attack. Megatron and the other two Seekers had yet to be located, but Rodimus was already transmitting a signal to Springer to head for their locations and save them the trouble of tracking them down. She wasn't sure when they were going to respond to the call, but she hoped it was soon. They needed to start planning before it was too late.

She sighed before she heard static from the console in front of her brother. She snapped her head up and asked what it was, smirking as Springer demanded to know why Rodimus was singing into his audio; Rodimus' singing voice was worse than an off-tune piano. He replied that it got his attention straight away and that they were to head back to the ship for further orders. Oriona could sense the sneer from her mate coming on and headed for her brother to state the order again before Megatron could throw a fit. She got there just in time to hear Megatron snarl that Rodimus wasn't a commanding officer and could not order him around like one of his flunkies.

"He might not be, but I am," she stated calmly. "Megatron, regroup for a strategic meeting, now."

"Since when do you agree with your brother?" Megatron demanded, his voice filled with shock.

"Since he's right for once," she replied. "Move."

He grumbled something she didn't catch before the com link was cut. Rodimus shot her a look before growling that he had been right before. She rolled her optics before turning and walking away, throwing a challenge of "prove it" over her shoulder. Rodimus let out a vicious growl before he started to follow her, his whole frame shaking with his rage. Scavenger made the comment from where he was sitting that siblings always fought at critical moments when they should be making peace. He added offhandedly that twins fought more often than any sibling, glancing at Tracks and Bluestreak as they bickered over who got the chair in front of the monitor, and Prowl flinched so badly she almost knocked Jazz off his chair. Scavenger apologized immediately, claiming that he forgot how much it still affected her to mention twins.

Prowl tried to recover as quickly as she could, using the excuse that the ship's movement had thrown her off balance, and that it had nothing to do with what he said. Tracks, missing the point entirely, informed her that they weren't moving at all. Oriona was positive that if looks could kill and if smothering your own sparkling was legal that Tracks would not be alive a minute longer. Prowl looked the other way before gritting out that the ship was still swaying enough to throw her balance off.

Jazz, as laid-back as ever, told her to calm down and relax for once before pulling her down into his lap. Oriona couldn't help but laugh at Prowl's face as it was overwhelmed with red as she lay sprawled in her mechfriend's lap. Everyone could almost see the shattered dignity scattered around the ground as Jazz kept his feet up on the console in front of him with his arms folded behind his head like he didn't have a care in the world. Oriona was sure that Prowl would kill the saboteur brutally if she ever gathered the courage to do it in public and if she didn't love him. She should count herself lucky; at least Jazz hasn't tried to jump her in public yet and attempted to "show his love" via trying to steal her breast plates.

Flamewar was the first to announce the other's arrival, tilting her wings as she watched the mechs fly up to the ship. Skywarp teleported them into the bridge, grinning as the other two mechs staggered away from him with nauseated expressions when they arrived. Springer fell into the seat in front of the control panel with a loud groan, rubbing his optics while complaining about teleporting idiots. Megatron managed to remain upright a little while longer before leaning on a console, muttering under his breath about hurling while covering his mouth.

Oriona chuckled as she walked over to her mate and gave him a gentle jab in the chest, knowing that it would probably make him sick all over the floor. He glared at her before wrapping his arm tightly around her waist, grumbling about feeling sick and not needing his fuel tank jostled around, and she patted his chest with a patronizing pout. He twisted his lower lip a bit before looking out through the window at the monstrous form of Unicron, baring his dental bands in anger.

"We have to kill him," he growled. "It's the only way that slagger will stay away."

Oriona sighed before hugging his chest, hiding her face for a moment to savour the closeness of her mate's body. His arm tightened around her waist before he started barking orders, dividing everyone into groups to distract Unicron. He was taking his group into the giant himself to destroy him and Shockblast before they had a chance to attack any of the planets. Oriona volunteered to take out the turrets with her group, knowing that going below the surface would result in her demise; as far as she knew, Unicron still wanted her to fuse with him. At least Megatron had firepower on his side. She had to rely on speed to get her out of a jam and she knew for a fact that inside Unicron her speed would do her no good.

Following Megatron were Starscream, Snowcat, Demolisher, Mirage, and Wheeljack. They were some of his strongest soldiers and the ones that had fought beside him the longest. Following Flamewar to distract the traitors were Hound, Prowl, Bluestreak, Jazz, Side Swipe, Hot Shot, and Thundercracker. They were better marksmen than everyone else and they would need that accuracy to ensure that they destroyed the enemy while the others slip past. Oriona had Wingsabre, Skywarp, Springer, Rodimus, Tracks, Scorponok, and Ironhide to help her destroy any of Unicron's surface guns. They needed a combination of speed and brutality to accomplish their task, not to mention Oriona wanted her combination partner close by in case they needed the extra fighting power.

All the couples stayed close together for the last few minutes before they left. Mirage and Hound whispered that they'd see each other soon, nuzzling and cuddling where they were while a small tear ran down Mirage's face; she must have feared losing her mate more than she let on. Wingsabre and Starscream promised each other to be careful, their foreheads pressed together while they hugged. Arcee and Rodimus were hugging, their optics darkened as Wheelie sniffled quietly between them; they were afraid to lose each other and their sparkling should either of them fail. Megatron and Oriona were holding each other close, whispering "good luck" to each other before sharing a quick kiss that made both of their sparks ache with the knowledge that one of them might not come back. Ironhide and Scorponok were hugging in the corner, her head resting on his chest as they whispered back and forth about the looming fight. Skywarp hugged Snowcat tightly before telling him to be safe, glancing at Demolisher with pleading optics.

"Keep him safe," he whispered almost pathetically.

Demolisher's optics darkened before he looked away. "I'll bring him home safe; don't worry about it," he grumbled as he crossed his arms characteristically over his chest.

Skywarp nodded before straightening up and petting Snowcat's head affectionately. While the display of affection was touching, another display shocked everyone to the point where their jaws fell open. Tracks and Wheeljack were standing in front of each other and didn't look ready to kill each other for once. Tracks' head was down and her arms were crossed over her chest while Wheeljack just gazed at her with a bored expression. Tracks shifted before looking up at him, her head elevated that little bit to show her arrogance that she so proudly inherited, before she snorted.

"Don't go and die on me," she snapped.

"You sound concerned," Wheeljack replied with a small smirk.

"Only because you're so useless," Tracks snarled in reply, sticking her nose in the air.

"Only in your optics, princess," Wheeljack sneered before looking at Megatron.

Tracks shot him a withering look before turning and storming over to Springer, folding her arms up as she fumed. Oriona couldn't help the chuckle that rose in her throat and looked the other way to hide it as Tracks shot her an accusing glare. Megatron's arms tightened around her for a long moment before he turned and ordered his soldiers to follow him. She held onto his hand for a minute, closing her optics as he squeezed her hand gently, reassuring her for the coming battle. She whispered down the bond for him to come back safely before ordering the mechs to follow her. She shot Arcee and Kicker a look as they stood away from the group and asked them to keep an optic on everything that was happening outside of Unicron.

"Move out," she ordered.

Megatron pressed his back against the wall of the passageway, fully aware that Unicron knew they were there. His mechs were staying close to him, weapons out to fight off any of Unicron's energon-seeking vines if they decided to attack again. They were all edgy now that Mirage had almost been sucked into the planet's body, jumping at every little groan of the giant's internals. They were a bundle of nerves, held together by the fact that Starscream kept threatening to send them back to the surface; a disgraceful sentence; and Megatron's unwavering course through the Chaos Bringer.

He could hear someone laughing hysterically just up ahead and around the corner and signalled for the others to slow down. They crept forward silently, pressing close to one another; Mirage had herself squeezed between Snowcat and Demolisher to stop any awkward moments; before Megatron stopped at the corner. Shockblast's voice reached them and it sounded like he was shouting at someone and in a great deal of pain. Starscream moved past him and pointed his gun into the room, glancing around the doorway cautiously.

He let out a soft gasp before pulling backwards just in time to avoid getting his face shot off. Megatron gave the order to attack before throwing himself around the corner and into the doorway. He fired his guns off quickly, his optics widening as he took in the sight before him. Shockblast had somehow managed to grow since the last time they met and his optic was now orange instead of green. Not only that, but he seemed to be vibrating with untold power. Megatron rolled away just as the enraged mech fired at him, blasting the wall apart from the sheer power behind the attack. What had happened to him to make him so unstoppable?

"I'll kill you!" Shockblast howled before he charged into the corridor, spinning around to fire him.

"Over here, slagface!" Mirage shouted before she landed a two-footed kick to Shockblast's back.

She flipped over as the massive mech fell over, landing perfectly on her feet before she fired on him, her optics flashing as they tore into the mech's back. She always had loved a good carnage, the strange tower femme. Shockblast was on his feet in a flash, his gun spinning to point at the femme as she stood stunned by his speedy recovery. Wheeljack tackled her to the ground to stop her from getting shot, lifting his gun up to return fire. Shockblast was shoved against the wall before he had a chance to shoot by Demolisher, the smaller green mech receiving a severe pounding in return for his bravery.

Megatron shouted at Demolisher to release him and fall back, his cannons already whirling to life. Demolisher was instead kicked off and smashed into the other wall with a soft cry of pain; so much for the order. Snowcat started firing on Shockblast in response, growling angrily before he squealed in fright as the larger mech charged at him. Shockblast knocked him over before running down the passageway, snarling and howling in pain and fury. Megatron watched him run around the corner before he contacted Oriona to warn her. He didn't want his mate to be unaware of the approaching danger.

He looked at Mirage and Wheeljack as they stood up, relieved that they weren't injured. Mirage patted the other mech's cheek affectionately before she hurried over to Demolisher. Snowcat was already dancing around him in panic, whimpering that he was hurt and he didn't know what to do. Demolisher growled that he was fine before he struggled to get back to his feet. Mirage pushed him down before moving his head forward to check for any lumps, not being gentle about the ordeal; she had very little sympathy for her two friends when they did stupid things. More than likely, she thought that getting thrown off of Shockblast to be very stupid. She let out a snort of amusement before commenting that Demolisher's thick head protected him from any horrible or serious injuries. She then let him attempt to stand, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as his legs threatened to collapse beneath him.

"Where's Starscream?" Wheeljack asked as he shouldered his gun.

"In here," Starscream called. "You might want to have a look at this, sir."

Megatron turned and entered the room, staring at the massive throne that had materialized since their last visit. Starscream was standing beside it and experimenting with some of the huge wires, poking and prodding them while tilting his head side to side. He looked up when they approached and sighed before crossing his arms.

"What's wrong?" Wheeljack asked.

"These wires are what Shockblast has used to grow so big," he stated calmly. "And, if I'm right, Unicron's controlling him."

Everyone tensed up in surprise before Mirage choked and almost begged him to say that he was joking. Starscream's green optics saddened before he shook his head. He explained that the throne acted as a medium between the seated mech and Unicron, allowing them to communicate with one another. He guessed that Shockblast attempted to control Unicron and make him attack them, but instead became possessed by the Chaos Bringer.

Megatron sighed before shaking his head. That was not a fate he wanted to give anyone, no matter what crime they had committed in their lifetime. Starscream glanced at the wires before adding that they might be able to sever the connection and possibly free Shockblast if they got rid of the wires. Snowcat grumbled that he deserved to be possessed and Mirage scolded him for saying that. The shock trooper had changed a little since she got a femme body back, that was for sure; she still loved to blow things up for no reason, but she had a lot more of her social pecking order morals back. Wheeljack commented that Shockblast deserved to suffer, but not to this extreme.

Megatron nodded his head in agreement before looking at the wires. Starscream was already aiming his sword to slice one in half and as his arm started to come down, Megatron caught sight of movement just behind him. He looked behind him in time to see a mech's hand reach out of the shadows, the vague outline of a mouth opened in a silent scream of terror. He spun to warn Starscream and watched in horror as several wires pierced his chest armor, making him scream in pain and terror.

"Starscream!" Megatron shouted before darting forward.

"I'm fine," Starscream gasped as he collapsed on the ground as the wires ripped themselves out of him. "Surface wound, nothing major."

Megatron glared at his friend, wanting nothing more than to bop him over the head. The "surface wound" consisted of five large gouges running down his chest and leaking energon all over him. Mirage, who had a minimal amount of knowledge in the medical field, set Demolisher down before hurrying over to check the damage. She told Starscream that he was an idiot before she started closing off the major fuel lines with a soldering tool she had in her subspace. She sighed that his internal repairs could fix the damage better than she could, but that it might take awhile for it to work.

Megatron heard a soft call before he turned back to the shadow mech. He reached his gun-tipped fingers towards Starscream before looking at him desperately. Megatron narrowed his optics before he turned and gently picked Starscream up, earning a pained whine from the much smaller Seeker. He asked him if he could see the mech in the shadows and Starscream actually laughed.

"Can't miss him," he choked out before he offlined his optics for a moment. "Says he can heal me. Ain't got a problem with that."

"You must be injured," Megatron commented before he brought him over to the shadows, "you're grammar sucks."

Starscream sneered at him before he was covered by dark tendrils. Megatron watched the shadow mech weave the tendrils across his friend's chest, speaking in a voice too low for him to catch. Starscream chuckled softly before whispering back, his green optics flashing in good humour. It didn't take long before Starscream stood up and walked out of the shadows fully healed. He glanced over his shoulder before whispering something to the mech trapped within, his optics hardened as the other mech's shoulders slumped in relief.

"Thrust?" Megatron asked.

"Yeah," Starscream chuckled before they headed back over to the others. "He's almost ready to escape Unicron's hold; a little more energon is all he and Sideways need to break away."

He nodded his head before they approached the throne again, ducking under a few lashing wires as Snowcat kicked the throne and ran away laughing. Demolisher growled at him to behave and not make him beat him over the head before the floor started to shake violently. Everyone let out shouts of shock as they stumbled around, trying to keep their balance. Megatron's footing sent him tumbling towards the throne even as he wind-milled his arms in a desperate attempt to remain upright. The ground seemed to come up under his feet and propel him towards the throne, almost as if it wanted him sitting in it. He let out a shout of disbelief before he landed on the throne, his aft smarting from the impact; had his armor softened somehow?

He let out a cry of shock as his vision vanished and his soldiers' shouts were lost in a swirl of high speed winds. He stared down at the surface of Blizzard Planet and felt his rage boil at the sight of Shockblast fighting Oriona and Wingsabre. They managed to knock the mech over, but Megatron spotted his gun arm rising to fire, the tip aimed at Oriona's chest above her spark chamber. Instinct took over and he threw his arm forward to punch Shockblast away from his mate, not even thinking about the fact that he wasn't actually there. His energon froze in his fuel lines as he heard Unicron's joints groan seconds before a huge fist smashed into Shockblast and obliterated him.

He gasped in surprise as something surged through him, filling him with unimaginable power. It filled him to his limits and surged over his body after it broke those limits down and disintegrated them. He had never felt so powerful in his life and he felt amazing for the first few seconds before dread gripped his spark like a vicious claw. He could hear Oriona shouting at Unicron for killing Shockblast and then he _felt_ Shockblast's spark race by his own, thanking him for freedom and warning him of a danger coming swiftly before passing on. He tried to rise from the throne and realized with a tremor that he couldn't lift his own limbs.

He struggled for a moment while his body remained stationary, wondering why he couldn't control himself, when a new presence surged up against him. It shoved him into the farthest corner of his mind, laughing at him as he struggled uselessly to get back in control. He heard Mirage call his name and ask him if he was alright, concern and fear colouring her voice. He wanted to shout at her to help get him off of the throne, but his mouth didn't even twitch in response to his desperate attempts. Instead, his mouth started to move on its own accord, and what it said terrified him to his core.

"Megatron does not exist anymore," his voice stated smoothly. "Only Unicron exists within this shell. The Universe is mine to command. As are your worthless lives."

His optics, which he hadn't realized were off, onlined and stared at his horrified soldiers. Their expressions were a reflection of his own terror and he knew it wouldn't be long before they bolted in a desperate attempt to survive. He didn't blame them, if anything he was shouting at them to retreat while he clawed desperately at Unicron's presence blocking him from his body. He received a hard shove in response, smashing him into the corner of his mind as Unicron's dark optics turned on him.

"You've escaped two times now, Megatron," he hissed before dark tentacles wrapped their way around his body and held him still. "Twice, you have humiliated me and turned your back on everything I have given you. But it won't happen again. No, this time, you will do what you were designed to do. And this time, I will have your lovely Oriona as my own power source. It's been far too long waiting for her to come within my grasp. At least you brought her to me, like I ordered you to; well done, my disobedient disciple."

Megatron thrashed against the tentacles, only to feel excruciating pain rip through him. He roared in agony, hearing only Unicron's harsh laughter as he watched his wither in his clutches. His thoughts turned to Oriona, probably still down on Blizzard Planet, and he realized his mistake in thinking this a second too late. Unicron let out a low purr of approval before the room shook again, sending his soldiers sliding across the floor. Megatron received a flash of Blizzard Planet being destroyed by Unicron's body and consumed with Oriona's body being sucked in as well. He heard Unicron's mind echo her scream of terror with her voice screaming his name for help, and he added his own scream of denial to the noise.

Oriona was going to be killed and there was nothing he could do to save her.


	20. Choices are Never Easy

Chapter 20 Choices Are Never Easy

Oriona felt her whole body freeze with terror that was not caused by Unicron's fist in the snow in front of her. Her spark felt like it had just stopped pulsating and was slowing down and hardening. She stared down at her chest for a long moment before reaching out over the bond in search of Megatron. Instead of her mate's welcoming embrace, she found a wide expanse of brooding darkness.

It spread out around her, drawing her in farther and making it hard for her to cycle air. A clinging cold started to creep its way around her body, pulling her into the center of the darkness. She felt cold lips travel along her shoulder before dental bands nipped her antenna gently. A dark voice whispered that she would be his and there was nothing she could do to stop him. She pulled away as fast and hard as she could, not stopping until she could feel the coldness of Blizzard Planet around. She ended up on her aft and scrambled backwards from Unicron's arm with Wingsabre staring at her like she was insane.

"We have to get out of here," she stated as she struggled to her feet. "Unicron's online and functioning."

"Slag!" Wingsabre whined before grabbing her and lifting off. "Do we ever get a break?"

She sighed before getting in contact with her brother and asking him what was happening. He made a sarcastic remark about skipping through the flowers on Jungle Planet before demanding to know if she was blind. She replied that she was still on Blizzard Planet and lacked his obviously superior optics for seeing through cloud cover. Springer cut in and stated that Unicron was starting to move and was making his chest shift around in Blizzard Planet's direction.

Needless to say, Wingsabre sped up and got off the planet as quickly as she could, heading for where the other Seekers were floating. She muttered about freezing cold winds before she asked if Starscream had contacted them yet. Oriona, who could float slightly in the vacuum of space, pulled away from her friend and watched helplessly as Unicron began to devour Blizzard Planet. The memories on that planet, the numerous snowball fights and exploration that they had all gone on, were vanishing.

"We have to stop Unicron," she stated coldly before frowning. "Has Starscream and the others tried to get in contact with you?"

"Mirage sent something a few minutes ago," Thundercracker stated. "Problem was it consisted mostly of Snowcat screaming like an idiot and I couldn't make out what she was saying."

"Megatron's trapped within Unicron somehow," she sighed before shaking her head. "Just Mirage being able to contact you is a good sign for them."

Everyone let out gasps and begged to know that Megatron wasn't really trapped. She looked at her feet before confirming that he was trapped. Flamewar immediately declared that they had to rescue him and she hung her head further and commented that they could not. When they demanded to know why, she explained that Unicron had him and that there was no way to rescue him now. The silence that hung around them was tangible and the Seekers' wings dropped sadly to their side as they realized how helpless they were against the monstrous mech before them.

Already, most of Blizzard Planet had been devoured. Her spark sank low in her chest and she let a defeated sigh slip past her lips. She was ready to give up hope when her com link crackled to life and Starscream's voice shouted that they needed back up immediately. Her head snapped up before she touched her audio and demanded to know where they were. Starscream replied that they were making their way out of Unicron the same way they had gone in and that they needed help before Unicron caught them and devoured them.

She ordered the Seekers to get moving, swinging herself up onto Wingsabre's back to tag along. The order swept through the army like a fierce wind, sending everyone to the opening that Megatron's squad had vanished into to take on Unicron. They found Snowcat and Demolisher in a heap, panting heavily while gasping that the others were still inside. Skywarp and Thundercracker easily picked the two exhausted mechs up and headed back to the ship, reassuring them that everything was going to be alright.

Wingsabre looked up and let out a delighted cry before tackling Starscream out of the air. They rolled across the ground letting out loud purrs of relief while rubbing their heads against each other. Flamewar and Springer smirked at each other before calling to keep everything in their armor before Oriona turned to look at Wheeljack and Mirage.

The two of them were limping, Wheeljack from a twisted foot and Mirage from a large gash in her leg. They looked exhausted, whispering to the other to keep moving and that they were almost there. Oriona smiled and went to call to them and tell them that they were going to get to the ship quickly to repair their injuries. Instead, her optics widened before she shouted at them to run as glowing yellow threads raced towards them.

Mirage looked over her shoulder before gasping and grabbing Wheeljack's arm. She yanked him forward, trying to stay ahead of the threads even as they stumbled pathetically about. Oriona darted forward, her spark clenching in terror as the threads wrapped around the pair's legs and tripped them. They landed with loud thuds on the ground, clawing at the armor in front of them in an attempt to get free. Oriona shot at the threads as the two were slowly dragged back down the tunnel, snarling as the threads regenerated the moment she hit one.

"No, no, no, no!" Mirage begged desperately as she clawed at the ground, trying to keep herself from being dragged away.

"Mirage!" Hound shouted before he slid down beside her and grabbed her around the waist. "Hold on!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" she demanded frantically.

Hound had a small knife out of his wrist compartment in an instant and had sliced through the threads holding his mate captive. He scooped her up the moment she was free, pressing her against his broad chest as he sprinted for freedom. Oriona, still desperate to reach Wheeljack as he was dragged backwards into the darkness, suddenly found herself confronted by the severed threads. She started shooting at them to keep them away from her, finding herself getting pushed father away from the black and gray mech. Their optics met and she saw defeat overwhelm him as his fingers started to slide along the ground.

She shouted at him not to give up before a blue blur shot past her. With a savage snarl, Tracks sliced through the threads and sent them scurrying back into Unicron's depth. Her optics were alive with fury as she whipped her scimitar around her to chop anymore threads apart long before they reached her. She shouldered the massive scimitar before running to Wheeljack's side, growling at him to get to his feet as she subspaced her weapon as she gripped his elbow. Oriona darted over and grabbed his other arm, hoisting it over her shoulder as the two of them propelled themselves out of Unicron. The others had been providing cover fire the whole time and cheered when they reached the safety of the outer layer.

"Everyone back to the ship!" Oriona ordered as she swung herself up onto her friend's back.

Most of the others had a bit of trouble escaping Unicron's gravitational pull, but the Seekers went back for them. When they were all onboard the _Miranda II_, they stared out at the last traces of Blizzard Planet hanging in front of the Chaos Bringer. Already, in spite of their efforts, they had lost one of their precious planets to him. Alpha Q, who had been talking with Kicker and Arcee the whole time, let out a lengthy sigh before asking what could be done.

"We have to destroy Unicron," Oriona replied, her spark weeping at the thought of who she was going to lose in the process.

"What about your mate?" Alpha Q's calmest personality asked. "Is he not trapped within?"

She offlined her optics and inhaled deeply. "We have no other option," she stated, trying to keep her voice level. "It must be done."

Starscream and Scorponok, who had been whispering to each other since the small Seeker had arrived, turned to look at her. Starscream informed her that he was going back in after Megatron. At Wingsabre's involuntary gasp of "no", he turned to her and hugged her tightly, hushing her as he managed to rock his larger mate in his arms. He explained that Megatron was trapped because they had been too close to the throne in the central chamber, an accident he had caused. He explained that he was going to get Megatron back at all cost.

Scorponok nodded her agreement before adding that she was going with him. Ironhide wasn't the only one to shout against her idea. She snorted before telling them that she owed Megatron her life and she was willing to risk it to save him. Ironhide stared at her before grabbing her and pulling her close, offlining his optics as she hugged him back.

"Come back," he whispered before hiding his face in her back. "Just come back."

She whispered that she would before she pulled back, running her hand over his cheek. Alpha Q murmured a good luck to her before she and Starscream stood beside each other in preparation to leave. Everyone else started talking about how they were going to help provide cover fire for them and take Unicron apart piece by piece. Oriona smiled to herself, proud of her soldiers for being so willing to fight to protect what they loved. But, ultimately, her spark was heavy with the knowledge that they were fighting Unicron and ultimately destroying Megatron, Starscream, and Scorponok in the process.

"All is not lost," Primus' voice whispered into her audio before powerful arms wrapped around her. "Megatron can still be saved, my little one. Never doubt your own powers for they are stronger than even Unicron. Tell your friends to remain on the ship; other than Starscream and Scorponok as Megatron will need their help; and I will help you channel your powers so you can destroy him."

She swallowed before looking at the soldiers around her and inhaling slowly. She ordered them all to stay on the ship, that she alone was going to fight Unicron. She immediately received dumbstruck looks and demands as to why they could not fight. She shook her head before telling them that it was a fight she had to do on her own. They demanded to know why she thought she could fight on her own, shaking their heads and stamping their feet in frustration.

"She won't be alone," Jazz stated calmly, shooting her a small smile at her startled expression. "She's got Primus fighting with her; she doesn't need us getting in the way."

Everyone stared at the mech for a moment before grumbling and shifting around. They weren't happy with the explanation, but they couldn't argue with her if their Creator was behind everything. Starscream offered to fly her down to the planet and she thanked him as he let her climb up onto his back. Side Swipe wished her good luck, his optics filled with sadness and fear, and she smiled reassuringly at him.

"I'll be back when it's over," she promised before they left the ship.

She held on tightly to Starscream's back, her spark hammering as they approached Unicron. The Chaos Bringer was looking around in search of another planet to devour. She felt anger course through her at the thought of Unicron killing needlessly. Primus chuckled at her before whispering that her anger would only blind her to the task at hand; she had to keep her emotions away from her sight. They could control her limbs, but she had to be able to see before her at all times.

She pushed off of Starscream's back and wished both of them good luck. Scorponok hugged her tightly before following the smaller mech, her optics showing her resolve for the task ahead. Oriona let out a soft sigh before looking at Unicron, finding herself almost optic to optic with the enormous mech. She saw his mouth morph into a savage grin before his arm started moving towards her.

Primus' power surged around her before she felt herself beginning to glow. At first, she was terrified about what was happening to her, but then she felt a rush of familiarity and relaxed. It was natural to feel all that power course through her systems and make her feel unstoppable. There wasn't a force in the universe besides Primus that could stop her and only He had the ability to counter what she did. Not that she would ever go against her Creator.

Primus seemed amused by her reaction, gently teasing her about being so excited about being powerful. His laughter rang in her audios before she felt him nudge her forward. He whispered for her to charge Unicron, to slam into his body, and urge herself through his armor. Had she felt any different, she might have thought her Creator mad, but with the power she possessed, she could see the armor melting under her will and folding to her desires. She didn't even stop to think before she angled herself towards Unicron's shoulder and dove.

She fell through space at an unbelievable speed and smashed into his shoulder with a shattering explosion. There was a small pocket of protective force in front of her that kept her from being crushed into the surface of the planet-sized mech. Her power was fluctuating around her, tearing at the mech's armor in white whips that lashed around sporadically. The armor folded backwards as Unicron emitted an audio-shattering scream of pain, and she pushed forward, drawing her arms in front of her face and pulling them pack to her side to propel herself forward. She travelled down through Unicron's shoulder, not even bothering to try to avoid the various wires, circuits, and walls she encountered.

She became aware of another presence soon after she started to approach Unicron's spark chamber. It was like a solarflare out of the corner of her optic and she paused to see what it was. Her optics widened at the sight of a black mech racing towards her. His red optics bore into her spark while his mouth and nose was covered by a facemask with slits, hiding his expression from her. But it was not his unnatural looking body with the huge tank treads and the flame designs stretching across his body that unnerved her. It was the fact that he was completely engulfed in fire.

Her spark leapt up into her mouth in terror as the mech headed for her. She had the sudden urge to whip one of her white power threads at him, but something told her to wait. Primus surged around her for a moment, his own mistrust adding to hers until the mech came closer and then he seemed to relax. The mech stopped not far from her, his optics narrowed in confusion before he snorted out a small tongue of flame and nodded to her.

"You've changed a bit," he commented before tilting his head back. "I suppose you're here to destroy Unicron once and for all?"

"Yes," she replied before tipping her chin up. "Are you going to assist me or stand in my way?"

"Assist you," the mech replied, pulling back slightly in surprise. "Why the slag would I help this monster? He has kept me trapped within him while he destroyed the cosmos. I owe him nothing."

"Then I will appreciate the company," she stated with a smirk. "That is, if you can keep up."

The mech let out a laugh that warmed her spark with its deep rumble. He told her that she had better keep up with him if she wanted her kill so badly. She laughed with him before flipping over to continue her flight downwards. She was curious who the mech now flying beside her was, but she had a feeling he wouldn't tell her if she asked. She felt safe with him flying so close, the flames that were around him slipping around her power-aura and creating amazing white flames between them. She wasn't sure why, exactly, but she was happy that he had found her somehow.

They continued on through Unicron, taking turns to shatter the obstacles in their path. The mech seared through the armor with his fire, shooting her grins that made her feel like he was just getting the hang of his abilities. She took a little longer to get through the obstacles, but her power was a little more wide-spread and seemed determined to destroy everything that came too close. The mech seemed to know how to dodge any of her aura tendrils, only getting struck a few times and grunting in pain before levelling his flight out. Primus was surging around both of them, urging them onwards with the gentle reminder that the universe was waiting.

With one final wall destroyed, they both stood in Unicron's spark chamber. Oriona shivered, half-expecting Sideways to materialize out of the dangling sack in front of them and try to convince them to join with Unicron. What she saw instead were two ghostly outlines of the two mechs that had perished with Unicron at their last battle glaring at the dangling orb, hissing contempt and hatred at it while holding each other tightly. Oriona locked optics with Thrust and nodded to him, letting him know that she was going to free him and Sideways one way or another.

"Halt," Unicron's voice hissed out. "Proceed any farther and I will not hesitate in eliminating you."

"I came here to stop you, Unicron," she replied coldly. "You will pay for what you have done, what you have destroyed."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" the demi-god laughed. "You might have been able to rip my armor apart, but your powers cannot extinguish a spark."

"She might not be able to," the mech beside her growled before taking a step forward, "but I can! I am not your puppet, Unicron!"

"Combine your power," Primus whispered. "Quickly, my sparklings, while there is still time."

Without even stopping to think about it, Oriona spun and flung herself into the mech's arms. The mech's reaction was a little slow, his red optics widening in surprise before his arms closed around her waist. There was a noise like a propane tank catching fire, that huge gasp of air seconds before it exploded, before the flames around the mech's body shot towards the ceiling of the room, changing from red-orange to brilliant white in a matter of moments as her aura mixed with his fire.

The flames hung solely over their heads for a moment before it expanded outwards and shot through Unicron's armor. The Chaos Bringer howled in pain, the very foundation below them shuddering as he withered in agony. Oriona and the mech watched in awe as the room around them was pierced by the white flames, shattering and breaking away to reveal the vacuum of space behind them. It created a spectacular backdrop as the flames continued onward in a set course through Unicron. The massive mech was withering and screaming, his fingers scraping the destroyed edges of his spark chamber as the two of them hovered in the middle of space now.

In a moment, Oriona spotted the _Miranda II_ caught in harm's way and she felt panic flood her systems. She went to scream out her terror to the mech holding her, only for her jaw to fall open in shock. Situated in front of the ship was a squadrons of ghosts; more specifically, everyone that she had known in her life. She could see her cousins Sunstreaker and Sideswipe with their arms outstretched to block the flames, her uncle and their father Ironhide right beside them and smirking at her, the recently deceased Smokescreen standing proudly to protect the ship, and others that she had encountered. She was stunned by their presence until the mech holding her whispered that they were there to protect the ones they loved.

She felt a smile tug at her mouth as more and more of Unicron was blasted away. Her loved ones were safe from the power she and the mech were using and they would not be harmed by mistake. She watched as the terror that was once Unicron break away into space, scorched and shattered by their combined flame. She wondered vaguely what had happened to Starscream, Scorponok, and Megatron before she noticed that the mech holding her had begun to change colours and shape. Her jaw opened in shock as she watched the brutish face melt away to Megatron's, his familiar handsome features even more dazzling with the flames leaping around him.

"Megatron?!" she whispered in shock, reaching up to touch his face. "How? You were trapped!"

"I still am," he replied softly before hugging her tightly. "Oriona...it was you the whole time...you pulled me out of that darkness that Unicron trapped me in. You looked so different a moment ago...."

"I looked like me," she whispered as the flames began to die as the last of Unicron's body melted away. "You looked different!"

He chuckled before kissing her and telling her that they'd meet up soon. She let out a cry of denial before he vanished, leaving her floating alone in the vacuum of space, surrounded only by her white aura. She felt her spark sink before she felt Megatron's embrace around her spark, reassuring her that he'd come home soon. She smiled before she felt the power drain out of her, leaving her empty and shaken. She had only a fleeting notion of Primus hugging her and telling her how proud he was of her before she caught sight of a ghost that made her spark stop spinning.

Elita-1, her mother, was staring at her where she was hovering beside another mech she didn't recognize. She was staring at her with her optics begging for forgiveness and Oriona felt her spark give a small thud in her chest. Her mother, the beaten and broken wife of an aristocrat and long dead, was using whatever power the spark possessed to protect the Oriona's loved ones. She could see her lips moving, the tears shining on her cheeks, as she begged for her forgiveness. There was so much Elita-1 had to be forgiven for, but Oriona felt her spark give a pang of gratitude before she smiled and nodded through her own tears. She had protected the ones onboard the ship and for that she could forgive her mother for the crimes she committed.

Oriona saw the ship approaching her, could almost hear the screams and hollers of delight, and she smiled before letting herself drift off into a much needed recharge. Everything was going to be alright now.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

No one could believe it; Oriona had obliterated Unicron! No one was sure how she did it or why she was surrounded by those white flames, but against all odds she had done it. They cheered and screamed their delight, hugging and spinning around one another in uncontrollable bliss. She had saved the universe from the horrors of Unicron and she had protected all of them.

Prowl was crying with her hands clutched before her, repeating an old pray to Primus in thanks. Bluestreak was beside her and telling her mother not to cry even as she wiped tears from her face. Jazz was praying too, thanking a group of Cybertronians that no one had seen for protecting the ship from the powerful flames that had destroyed Unicron. Side Swipe asked who he was thanking and Jazz flashed him a grin before replying that it was his namesake he was thanking. Prowl's tears flowed faster before she shouted her thanks to the twins for protecting them even after they left. Everyone then saw the ghostly red and yellow forms that nuzzled Prowl and wiped away her tears.

After they recovered from their initial shock, Prowl threw herself into Jazz's arms and kissed him so passionately that even Jazz looked amazed. He then let out a whoop before scooping her up and saying he'd see them back on Cybertron, promptly leaving the room followed by the Seekers' catcalls. Everyone laughed before Thundercracker grabbed Flamewar and gave her a powerful "war's end" style kiss, complete with dip and terrified squeak from the femme. Several of the mechs followed suit and kissed their girlfriends in the "war's end" style, earning laughs from everyone else.

Bluestreak and Side Swipe hugged each other tightly before laughing and dragging a worried looking Ironhide into the embrace. Wingsabre glanced at him and reassured him that Scorponok was alright; Starscream was still transmitting messages down their bond and searching for Megatron. He smiled in relief before hugging his brother tightly. Hot Shot and Red Alert were hugging, laughing that they could survive anything the universe threw at them. Wheelie, who had been making faces at his parents kissing in front of him let out a sudden squeak of surprise and pointed at the corner of the room.

In the corner, Tracks and Wheeljack were in the middle of a passionate kiss. Everyone's jaw fell open in shock before both of them looked over and blinked in surprise. Tracks asked what was wrong as she rested her head on Wheeljack's chest. Wheeljack grumbled that it was in thanks for saving his life even as his arm wrapped around her waist. Everyone was silent before Hot Shot spun on Springer and laughed at him.

"Ha! I called it!" he shouted. "Pay up!"

Springer grumbled before telling him he'd pay him when they got home. Apparently, the two of them had a bet going that Tracks and Wheeljack would end up dating. Obviously, Hot Shot had won. Jetfire snickered before commenting that someone had to go get Oriona, offering to go himself a second later. Wingsabre told him to sit before she left, earning a straggled growl in response. He obviously thought he could make a few moves on Oriona now that Megatron was missing. He didn't realize just how much the rest of the soldiers would attack him if he even tried.


	21. Again?

Chapter 21 Again?

Oriona regained consciousness after they arrived on Cybertron. She was heralded into the waking world by fanfares and shouts of delight from the soldiers. She was being carried by one of the larger soldiers; the chest felt like Springer's just because it was so big; and a few of the older Seekers were up ahead to make room for them. She lifted her head a little and let out a weak groan of pain, her whole body aching with a dull pain.

"Don't try moving," Springer's voice murmured. "Ratchet and Quickstart want to look you over to make sure you didn't suffer any damage."

She let out a soft murmur of understanding before she rested her head on his chest again. The soreness was nothing to worry about, just a left over sensation of using too much power at once. She could hear the soldiers calling to her, wanting to make sure she was okay, and she smiled slightly before she heard one of her sparklings tell everyone that she was fine. She shifted a little before the noise all faded away as Springer entered the base.

He went straight to the medbay and whistled for Ratchet's attention as he set her down on a berth. The red and white medic was at her side in an instant, scanning her body, and asking her how many fingers he was holding up. She smirked before saying two fingers and a thumb, receiving a gentle cuff to the head as the older mech chuckled.

"She'll be fine," Ratchet stated as his sister moved over to her other side and started moving each one of her joints around to help pinpoint any pain. "Right now the best thing for her would be for her to rest properly."

Springer commented that she had been recharging the whole way back, smirking as he added how cute she looked. Ratchet smacked him over the head and told him that her "recharging" earlier had been a coma and not proper recharge. Quickstart smirked at her brother's action before warning Oriona that she was going to feel a sting in her hip as she pulled her leg. Oriona winced slightly as her hip was rotated on the spot and energon ceased flowing for a minute to her feet. She swallowed and ground her dental bands together before Quickstart released her leg and moved to her other side.

Oriona sighed slightly as she braced herself for another wave of pain as Quickstart started shoving her leg against her waist. She glanced at Springer and asked if they had been able to find Megatron, Starscream, and Scorponok yet, giving him a level gaze as he shifted a little. He replied that they hadn't been able to find them, but Wingsabre was confident that Starscream and Scorponok were fine and still looking for their wayward leader. She let out another sigh before settling herself down onto the berth for a much needed recharge.

She told Springer to let her know if anything happened in the search for Megatron before she offlined her optics. She heard the mech salute and give a sharp affirmative before Ratchet shooed him away. She smiled to herself as she heard the siblings whispering quietly to each other, their voices soft and filled with relief that calmed her in spite of her fear for Megatron's well-being. She sighed softly as she heard one of the medic siblings draw a curtain around her to give her privacy. She'd worry about Megatron in the morning after she was fully recharged.

It felt like she had only just slipped into recharge that she was woken up by something snuggling against her. She let out a soft groan before onlining an optic, meeting a cheekily grinning face and blue optics. She groaned again before pushing Side Swipe away from her and sat up a bit, commenting that she had been trying to recharge. He laughed before saying that his brothers had told him to, which earned a small chuckle from the two mechs that were standing away from the berth.

She sighed before signalling them to get on the bed, smirking as Hot Shot sat down beside her and nuzzled his face into her shoulder. She stroked his head adoringly before she felt Ironhide's weight on her legs. She glanced at him and smiled reassuringly as she noticed the faraway look in his optics.

"Scorponok's fine," she told him as she stroked his helm. "She's with Starscream."

"I know," he murmured before snuggling against her leg and sighing. "I just...I just wish we could find them."

She stroked his head gently while reassuring him that they'd find them all soon. Side Swipe piped up that they couldn't be too far away anyways considering all the time they had to catch up. All of them did have jet modes and could go much faster in vehicle mode than they could if they were stuck in robot mode. Hot Shot nodded before telling him that their greatest threat was gone now anyways so they would have a smooth ride home. Ironhide sighed again before nodding his head, smiling weakly before confirming that he had been over worried.

They talked for a little while longer until Ratchet pushed the curtain aside and informed them that since she could talk, they could all leave. They left as quickly as they could, not wanting to be chased out with a wrench if Ratchet happened to be in a bad mood. Hot Shot sighed before saying that he was stuck on monitor duty and headed for the command center. Ironhide confessed to promising some of the new recruits simple battlemoves and Side Swipe was needed over in Priax to oversee one of the building operations.

She smirked before sending her sparklings off to their duties. She didn't want them to set bad examples for the others by skipping out. They laughed before hugging her farewell and went their separate ways, shouting over their shoulders that they'd see her after they were done. She sighed softly to herself before wandering down the halls towards the entrance to the crystal gardens; they should be in full shine at this time of the day. She didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment and she knew that if she headed out there no one would follow her.

She nodded to a few of the mechs she passed along the way, smiling as they congratulated her on saving them all. She didn't feel like she had completed that big of a feat; Megatron and Primus had helped her. She sighed again as she walked through the door that would take her into the gardens and smiled at the sight of Wingsabre tending to some of the smaller crystalline formations. She waved and asked if she was feeling better after her long rest.

"Much better, thank you for asking," Oriona replied before she stood beside her much larger friend. "How are you feeling?"

"In top performance," Wingsabre replied as she set a fist on her hip. "Before you ask, Starscream's been getting closer for the past few hours so I'm guessing they found Megatron."

She smiled and thanked her for the update before wandering over to the trees. She always felt a little better when she immersed herself in their soft glow, not to mention she always felt closer to Megatron here. She sighed softly as she leant against the trunk of one of the trees and listened to the sound of Wingsabre tending to the crystals. She perked her antennas at the sound of jets flying overhead and smiled slightly at the thought of their world being safe from the threat of Unicron again.

She heard the tell-tale sounds of someone transforming high above her and guessed that Wingsabre had gone up to join her aerial family. She heard a few thumps behind her and wondered who had dropped in for a visit. She supposed that Jetfire had and was probably going to start making moves on her. She let out a soft sigh before she started to turn around.

"Jetfire, what do you...?" she started to ask before she gasped and pressed her hands to her face.

Megatron tilted his head to the side while he smiled down at her. He looked perfectly intact and as strong as he was before he headed into Unicron. She felt tears rush down her face before she launched herself into his arms and hugged his neck tightly. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and murmured gently into her audio as he held her close.

"You're back," she whispered gently. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, my darling Oriona," he murmured in return as he rested his face against her neck. "Space is so lonely without you warming my side."

She let out a soft snort at his innuendo before she rubbed her face into his chest. Everything suddenly felt right now that he was back and had his arms wrapped so tightly around her. She released a content sigh before she heard several loud squeals and moans coming from behind Megatron. She lifted her head up and blinked curiously over his shoulder before laughing outright.

Starscream and Wingsabre were rolling around on the ground swapping kisses and nuzzling each other. They were obviously ecstatic to see each other and would probably start interfacing soon if someone did not interfere. She voiced her thought out loud and Megatron merely hummed in agreement before commenting that they should follow their example. She gave him an annoyed look before sighing and grumbling that he definitely had Seeker energon in his lines.

He chuckled before nuzzling her tenderly, purring gently into her audio. "You're going to hit me," he commented.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I have to head underground with Starscream," he replied.

"Why?" she asked, slightly agitated at the fact that she was losing him again so quickly.

"Just this...feeling I have that I have to head that way," he cooed sweetly before kissing her neck. "I won't be long, love, I promise."

She grumbled that she'd kill him if he took all day before he kissed her passionately. She let out a soft purr against her better judgement as he set her down and called to Starscream, commenting that he could pound Wingsabre into their berth later. It was safe to say that Starscream was extremely embarrassed while Wingsabre was rolling on the ground in a fit of laughter. Megatron laughed at his friend's expense before the pair took off into the sky and headed east.

"What'dda think he's after?" Wingsabre asked as she sat up.

"Who knows," Oriona sighed. "It's Megatron; he could have gotten a com telling him that there were hot femmes stripping in Cybertron's core and you know he'd go to check it out."

"That's the sign of a mech not getting enough," Wingsabre teased.

"If I gave him enough every time he wanted it, we'd be in our room every day and nothing would be accomplished," Oriona laughed before shaking her head.

"Wow...he's really deprived," Wingsabre whistled. "Flamewar and Thundercracker have to be the neediest of any Seeker and they wouldn't 'face that much when given the chance."

Oriona shot her friend a look before grumbling that he learnt everything from Flamewar. Wingsabre then started rolling around on the ground in laughter again as Oriona's optics twitched as she registered what she said. She personally hoped that Megatron hadn't gone near the crazy femme Seeker with a thirty foot pole while she was going through a heat cycle. That would just be a real ego-bruiser; there was no way a ground-pounder could outdo a Seeker at interfacing.

Wingsabre kept laughing as Oriona headed back inside with a grumble. She spent most of the day getting Prowl to update her on what had happened since she had passed out from exhaustion. From there, she started making arrangements to get the construction projects back up and running at full capacity while organizing a team to head back to Alpha-Q's solar system to arrange the harvested energon for transportation. She was almost overwhelmed and was happy to have Prowl working quietly beside her.

The other femme whispered that she had seen her dead mates protecting everyone on the ship when Oriona had been destroying Unicron. Oriona had confirmed that she had seen them too and was sad they had not stuck around long afterwards. Prowl glanced at her again before shifting around and blurting out that she was carrying Jazz's sparkling.

"What?" Oriona gasped before spinning around to face her friend. "Are you serious!?"

Prowl nodded several times before hugging her stomach like a sparkling with a full fuel tank. "Yes, it has been there since we got back from Blizzard Planet," she stated proudly.

"Prowl, that was weeks ago!" Oriona murmured before hugging her best friend. "This is exactly what we need! A new spark around the base will boost morale and prove that we can pull back! Does Jazz know?"

"That mech knows everything," Prowl grumbled before nodding. "He was the one that suggested I go get a check-up with Red Alert shortly after we got back to base that day."

Oriona let out a squeal like a sparkling before hugging her friend tighter and demanding to know if she had names picked out. She blushed up before saying that she wanted to name it Nightbeat if it was a femme and Barricade if it was a mech. Oriona approved of both names before smirking and asking what she'd do if it was twins and she received a smack to the face. Apparently, she couldn't handle another set of twins and Oriona was screwed in the processor for even thinking it.

She laughed as she pulled away from her friend before realizing that someone was sitting in her chair in front of the monitors. She sighed before asking Jetfire if he minded moving so that she could sit down. He replied that there was plenty of room and she could almost hear the smirk in his voice. She growled before telling him that Megatron would not appreciate him making moves on her while he was not there to beat his face in and he snorted at her. He told her that Megatron was dead and never coming back and that she should move on to a mech that actually cared for her.

She fought back the urge to slap him across the face before politely informing him that Megatron had returned and he did care for her. He snorted that the "caring" was just an illusion to get in her armor. Prowl let out a horrified gasp at his accusation before Oriona cracked and punched him in the face. He was sent sprawling on his back as the monitors announced Starscream and Megatron's return. She smirked triumphantly at the shuttle on the ground before she turned around and bolted towards the entrance.

She and Wingsabre almost collided in the hallway, both equally determined to reach their mate and tackle them. They laughed as they ran beside each other to the front entrance and slid to a stop in shock and amazement. Starscream looked as normal as ever except that his optics had mysteriously changed to being blue instead of green. They fit together better with his new body than the green ones had and they just seemed to make Wingsabre squirm more with delight. It was Megatron that looked truly stunning.

He had returned to being predominantly purple. And black and silver for that matter. His horns were silver, as were his forearms and calves. His optics were their intense red, thankfully, and he looked ready to pounce on Oriona. She stood there gawking at him, not even noticing the three mechs behind him shift around nervously under her gaze. She heard the rest of the base show up behind her and let out shouts and gasps of amazement before someone shouted "welcome back" and everyone cheered.

Megatron chuckled before commenting that his name wasn't Megatron anymore. Someone in the crowd asked him how that was possible and he replied that he received and upgrade. Jazz's voice called out that he looked the same to him and Megatron replied that he was also blind and couldn't see sweet slag. This earned a gentle chuckle from the crowd before someone called out what his new name was.

"I am Galva...."

"MAKE UP YOUR SLAGGING MIND!"

Everyone jumped as Oriona, Starscream, Wingsabre, and just about all the mechs and femmes that had been fighting beside them since Earth and the Battle for the Minicons, screamed at him. He let out a soft chuckle before asking why they thought he needed to make up his mind. Oriona grumbled that he was lucky he lost his memory after his upgrade or she would have kicked his aft hard. Megatron, now Galvatron again, let out a low chuckle before walking forward and nodding to the three mechs behind him.

"Bruticus, Constructicus, and Superion," he introduced, nodding to the mechs and signalling them to nod in return. "I found them on my journey underground."

"What exactly did you two do?" Wingsabre asked as she scooped Starscream up in spite of his protests and cuddled him to her chest.

"Took a dip in some overly powerful energon," Galvatron replied.

"Together?" Oriona commented with a smirk, leaving it up to Flamewar to finish her thought.

"HA! I knew you were gay!" Flamewar shouted before squealing and running inside as Galvatron lunged at her.

"Flamewar! You get your skinny, flat-aft back here!" he bellowed after her as he charged into the base.

"Ah," Starscream sighed before crossing his arms as Wingsabre refused to put him down, "c'_est la vie_."

Oriona laughed and couldn't help but agree with him. Besides, Flamewar could handle herself; by the sounds of all the shouting and hollering, she was giving the bigger mech a run for his credits. Leave it to Flamewar to be the life of a party. She chuckled before heading in to make sure the pair didn't tear the base apart, making sure to give Jetfire the cold shoulder as he glared after her. He had to get use to the fact that her spark had moved on; it wasn't like she had ever planned on being his sparkmate anyways.

**Author's note:** Sorry for the long wait! First, I left to see my grandparents and didn't finish the chapter in time, then I got sick and had some short form of ADD where I couldn't write ANYTHING for longer than twenty minutes before I left to do something else. It's horrible being sick. Anyways, hopefully I'll have this story done before the end of June and have all summer to work on the sequels and play with my new puppy ^-^ Guess who got a puppy to go to University with them? :3 three guesses and the first two don't count


	22. Video Game Training

Chapter 22 Video Game Training

Oriona smiled as she snuggled closer to Galvatron's chest. It was nice to have him so close again and not have to worry about where he was in the vast reaches of the universe. He was warm and he was close and that's all she ever wanted him to be. So long as he was nearby to keep her warm and safe during the night, she was positive that she could pull through anything. She felt her mate stir under her cheek before she felt his mouth settle gently onto her antenna.

"Good morning," she murmured as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

"It is a good morning, isn't it?" he asked softly before he stretched his wings out and yawned widely. "I needed that overload last night."

She shook her head before snuggling closer and running her hand over her mate's wide chest. He let out a low purr of delight before his hand slipped down to brush gently along her thigh. She couldn't stop the soft moan that left her and wanted nothing more than to smack her mate as he leant in closer and started licking her sensitive wires. She pushed on his face and shook her head, smiling as he grinned knowingly down at her. He whispered that he figured she wouldn't want to go again before he kissed her cheek and hugged her close.

At that moment, her com link went off and she growled slightly in displeasure. She activated it and asked what the contactor wanted, feeling Galvatron's hand slide down her leg again. Quickstart sounded oddly giddy over the com link as she instructed Oriona to get her aft down to the command center as soon as she could. Oriona didn't have time to ask her what she was talking about before the line went dead, leaving her with more questions than answers.

She relayed the message to Galvatron before she tried to stand up, only to feel his hands wrap tightly around her waist. He whispered into her audio that they to go as soon as they could; she couldn't leave yet because they were about to start something. She groaned before attempting to wiggle away, growling that they did not have time for fun and games if they were needed in the command center. She yipped in surprise as he gently started biting her back, licking slowly down the length of her spinal unit to make her wriggle and moan. She tried to gasp out that they did not have time before his glossa slipped into the seam of her neck and she let loose a loud moan of delight.

She lost track of time as the two of them romped around on the bed, moaning and groaning loudly as they interfaced. Overload was a blur of static and hot wires amongst tangled limbs and blasting fans as Galvatron collapsed on her. She curled into her mate's larger chest with a soft purr of contentment as she felt the wires in her port twitch weakly as Galvatron shifted above her. He kissed her antenna gently before commenting that he could never get enough of her. She smiled as she snuggled closer and murmured that she'd always be ready for him, even if it was at a really bad time.

He smiled into her cheek before murmuring that they should get going if they did not want Quickstart shoving a spear up their afts. She laughed softly before he pulled away and disconnected them, shaking slightly from the strain of having to stand up after overloading. She slipped out from under him as he swayed slightly and started collecting her armor, commenting that he had to stop tossing it around when he decided to pounce on her. He let out a soft chuckle in response before he stretched his wings out as far as they could go and let out a long strained whine as he stretched his arms over his head. She started putting her armor back on, humming softly to herself as she went, and glanced over at her still rebooting mate.

He was gazing at her with the kind of distant look that Jazz often gave when his visor was missing. He was staring at her, but she got the sensation that he was staring through her and into another world entirely. She shivered in fear before she gathered a bit of his armor and walked over to him. He barely acknowledged her as she set to work putting some of his armor back on, locking the latches into place carefully. She had just gotten his pelvic set and locked into place when he jerked and sent her sprawling face-first into his lap.

"Ow," she commented as she sat up and rubbed her nose. "What was that for?"

"Sorry," he mumbled before shaking his head. "I think I passed out for a moment."

"More like spaced out," she replied before kissing his cheek. "What did you see?"

His hand closed gently around hers before he nuzzled her gently. "Nothing to worry about," he replied softly."Just a dream; it meant nothing."

She smiled back, her inner circuits churning with apprehension, before she told him that they should be heading to the command center. He nodded as he collected the last of his armor and set it properly, commenting that he needed to get it polished to get rid of all of the scratches. She rolled her optics before setting out for the command center, knowing that she was going to get chewed out for being so late.

When she entered, she was a little surprised to see the room packed. She managed to squeeze to the front before Flamewar saw her and easily picked her up, carrying her over the other's heads to where Ratchet and Scavenger were tinkering with something. Galvatron easily cut a path through the soldiers before asking what was going on. Quickstart was bouncing from one foot to the other with a wicked grin on her face before she spun around to face him.

"Remember that training simulation that Scavenger use to have us play back in the Academy?" she asked.

"Yes," Galvatron replied with narrowed optics. "Why?"

"Guess what piece of old hardware we just found?" she laughed before spinning on the spot. "We use to rock at the simulation!"

"What's this use to slag you're spewing?" Flamewar demanded before grinning and patting her chest. "I _still_ kick serious aft!"

Quickstart rolled her optics before asking Ratchet if they were done reprogramming the game. He told her that they were almost done and to keep her plating on. Quickstart growled at him before crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. Snowcat popped up beside her and asked if the game was really that interesting and she smirked in response. She had him in a headlock in a matter of seconds as she replied that it was perfect for training and handling different soldiers.

Demolisher snorted before asking what they were going to fight against and all of the older mechs and femmes grinned. Flamewar replied that he'd know as soon as Scavenger got the program running again. It took a little while longer to get the program set up, which gave the Seekers time to corner Oriona and asking what took her and Galvatron so long then giggling as they found out why, and Scavenger almost had to hold Quickstart down as she ran to hook herself up to the equipment.

"One thing at a time!" he laughed as he held the smaller femme back. "Let me lay down the rules before you go charging in."

"Hurry up old mech!" Quickstart whined for the first time in eons.

Scavenger laughed before turning to the group staring at him curiously. "Alright, here's the basic rules; listen to the instructors when they tell you that you win or lose; they have final say. They will also lead you around to the next arena and your next opponent so pay attention. Also, if you step out of the set boundaries of the ring, you lose the match so watch where you put your feet. Seekers and all flying mechs or femmes are to keep their bodies only within jumping range; if you hover or start flying around you will forfeit the match. If you're going to punch someone, punch above the waist; no groin attacks or chest grabs will be tolerated. Mechs and femmes, hands to yourself when it comes to private areas, understand?"

Everyone agreed that they did understand before Ratchet motioned everyone over to the next room. There were rows of berths with various wires attached to them and everyone but Quickstart seemed reluctant to go near them. The orange medic raced over to the closest berth and swung herself onto it, snapping at her brother to get a move on and hook her up so that she could get a good partner. Ratchet told her she'd be paired up with whoever the simulation deemed worthy and she grumbled at him to hurry up anyways.

That statement prompted everyone to gather around the berths and lay down to await plugging in. The process did not take very long, just a few wires in their peripheral nerve clusters and a visor that fit neatly over their optics. Before long, everyone was standing within a huge arena with several thousand holographic fans roaring in the crowd. Oriona looked around in amusement as the younger mechs and femmes stared around in shock and awe as they took in the huge simulation around them.

"So, you are the participants?" a soft femme's voice asked.

Oriona looked up at the pure white femme standing in front of them with her hands clasped tightly behind her back and a large curious smile on her face. She had bright yellow optics that belied the strength she possessed and a calming aura around her that made even Galvatron sway slightly on the spot in relaxation. Her frame was simple and lacking in any real parts capable of transforming, but there was a power around her that let everyone know that she was strong enough to defy even the most powerful Transformer and send them to their knees. This was one of the officials of the simulation, created from one of the oldest known fighters and attendants at Iacon Academy; not that anyone but Scavenger could find any trace of her in the achieves.

"Yes, we are," Oriona replied with a small nod of her head.

"Excellent," the other femme chimed before settling her hands on her hips and grinning widely. "Alright, I'm sure Scavenger has already explained the basic rules so I won't hold you up any longer. Your partners are written on the screen over there, along with the arena you will be fighting in and who your opponent is. If you have any other questions during the simulation, let me know and I will be happy to help. Good luck everyone."

Everyone nodded before heading for the screen, careful not to knock each other over. Oriona nodded to the femme as she walked by, earning a small smile in return as she turned to speak with Nightbird about the kind of weapons they were allowed to use and how much damage they would cause. Oriona headed over to the group crowding around the screen and smirked as she watched Hot Shot and Wheeljack push their shoulders against each other and head towards one of the doors leading into the stadium. It seemed that the pair were going to be partners in the tournament.

She barely had time to read her name on the screen before Galvatron had her scooped up in his arms. He grinned smugly down at her before heading towards a set of doors on the far right of the archway. She commented that they must have been partners before she managed to wiggle out of his arms and walk beside him. He chuckled before stating that they were going to wipe the floor with the other contestants.

She snorted that he was full of himself as they entered the arena and were greeted by the cheers of the in-game crowd. Galvatron stretched his wings out a bit to show off their length before they walked out into the center of the arena to meet their opponent. Oriona was a little surprised to see Springer and Rodimus walk up to meet them and the feeling appeared mutual judging by Springer's stunned expression.

"Try not to go too easy," Oriona teased as she and Galvatron stood opposite her brother and his best friend.

"Try not to lie down at me feet," Rodimus replied with a sneer.

"Oh, it's on now," Springer growled playfully before the official signalled for them to prepare themselves.

Oriona nodded before glaring up at Springer; she'd let her mate beat the slag out of Rodimus. Springer blinked at her before grinning wickedly and cracking his knuckles, knowing full well that he was in for a fight. She barely had time to hear the official give them the signal to start before Springer lunged at her with a loud snarl. She darted aside in time to avoid getting squashed, sneering at him as he stumbled past.

He spun around and grinned wickedly before leaping at her again. She darted into him and slammed her fist hard into his stomach. He stumbled away with a loud grunt of pain before she managed to kick his legs out from under him. They landed hard on the ground with Oriona on top of Springer and they swapped several wild blows as they struggled for dominance. Oriona felt her lip split as Springer's knuckle collided with her mouth and she spat energon onto him as she drove her fist into his nose.

He howled in pain, tipping his head back as he swung viciously at her shoulder, pummelling the armor down until she managed to slide away from him. They stood facing each other before leaping and swiping at each other's faces, snarling and growling as they landed in a tangled heap again. She slammed her feet repeatedly into the mech's stomach, snarling as she felt his hand attempt to close around her throat. She drove her elbow into his throat and listened to him gag slightly before he stopped breathing to lessen the amount of pain sent into his air intakes.

He bared his teeth at her before attempting to choke her again. She hissed as she struggled to get out of his grip, wishing the little black dots would go away. She brought her fist back and slammed it into Springer's face, grinning weakly as he yelped in surprise and pain. She started pounding her fist into his face, growling and laughing at each of his cries of pain until she felt a set of arms wrap around her center.

She fought against the arms for a moment before she felt Galvatron's lips against her forehead. She stilled instantly, blinking back the black haze that had blocked out her vision, and stared lazily up at him.

"We won," he chuckled before kissing her forehead again. "You can stop pummelling Springer now."

"Opps," she commented as she looked down at Springer as he sat up in a daze. "Sorry Springer."

"Yeah," he replied before shaking his head. "But I earned that pummelling; I shouldn't have been choking you."

She smiled before telling Galvatron to put her down. He set her down a little reluctantly before the official walked over and directed them towards another set of doors, informing them that their next opponents were waiting for them. Galvatron went to go scoop her up, only to find that she was already heading for the doors. He shouted at her to wait up before charging after her, commenting that she was in a hurry for once to get to a fight. She stuck her glossa out at him before walking through the doors into the next arena.

They swept the competition aside with each new room they entered. It was easy to see that the two of them were one of the most powerful pair in the simulation and often teamed up against the slightly larger mechs. They reacted within seconds of each other, totally in tune with the other's movements and battle strategies. They did not even have to communicate through their bond before they attacked or switched the mech or femme they were currently fighting. They were always the most powerful and deadly pair on Cybertron in their Academy days and it would appear that nothing had changed.

"The semi-finals are over!" the femme official announced as Oriona propped a defeated Hot Shot on her shoulder. "Our powerhouse team composed of the planet's leaders, Oriona and Galvatron, will be moving on to compete against their right-hand partners Starscream and Wingsabre! This could get interesting before the end of the night, so stick around everyone!"

"Who would have thought that we'd be up against those two?" Oriona mused as Hot Shot and Wheeljack stumbled away to recover from their pounding.

"Considering we were always fighting one another back at the Academy, not that surprising," Galvatron replied before they waited in the center of the arena.

Wingsabre and Starscream entered through the doors opposite them with wide grins and their heads held high. Their footsteps never faltered as they approached but Oriona could see the small tremor that ran through Starscream's wings as they stood opposite each other. They shook hands and wished each other good luck before the femme official stood beside them and looked between them. She asked them if they were ready before she lifted her arm in the air.

As her arm came down, Starscream lunged at Galvatron with a wild snarl. Galvatron easily stepped out of the way before delivering a powerful punch to the other mech's face. Oriona barely had time to think about how Starscream would feel that in the morning before she dodged out of Wingsabre's reach. The two femmes circled each other once before lunging at each other again, snarling and growling as they locked arms and tried to push the other over. Wingsabre shoved Oriona a little harder than normal and the two of them fell on the ground with loud snarls of rage.

Oriona kicked repeatedly at Wingsabre's underside while the larger femme pinned her arms down and tried to stab her knee into her chest. Oriona snarled at her before kicking harder, practically lifting her bottom half off the ground as Wingsabre tried to lift herself away from the attack. That gave Oriona enough room to plant her feet firmly on the other chest and shoved her forwards over her to crash several feet behind her. Oriona rolled back to her feet and held herself ready as Wingsabre rolled back onto her front.

They growled at each other before colliding head on, grinding their shoulders into each other in an attempt to regain control. They clawed and scratched at each other's armor, a little too well matched to even gain so much as an inch on the other. They sprang apart and circled each other, completely oblivious to their mates fighting as they tried to find an opening in their opponent's stance. Wingsabre leapt forward, only to meet Oriona's foot as she round-house kicked her to the chest to make her stumble backwards.

Wingsabre did not have time to recover before she was on the ground with Oriona on top of her. Oriona struck blow after blow to the other femme's head as Wingsabre brought her arms up to protect the sides of her cranial unit from the assault. Wingsabre was unconscious soon after and Oriona quickly backed off before she harmed the femme more than what was necessary. Wingsabre lay slumped against the ground as the official hurried over to make sure she wasn't too heavily injured.

She looked up and laughed as she watched Galvatron back away from an out-cold Starscream, massaging his head in embarrassment. He glanced over at her and flashed a sneaky grin before swaggering over and scooping her up. She laughed slightly before hugging him and giving him a soft kiss on the lips as he bent his head down to nuzzle her neck. The officials stood off to the side before they turned to them and nodded.

"We have decided our winners," the femme stated happily before beckoning for them to come closer. "By a double knock-out, Galvatron and Oriona are our champions!"

"Naturally," Galvatron joked before hoisting her up onto his shoulders. "Once again, we reign victorious!"

She laughed before the femme official motioned for their attention. She formally congratulated them before smiling and telling them that they hadn't changed their tactics one bit since the last time they came out as the victors. Galvatron laughed before telling her that they hadn't exactly had time to practice and she replied that war tended to do that to people. Oriona coughed slightly before the simulation dimmed around them and phased out. The last thing she saw of the arena was the rather sad look on the femme's face.

She regained consciousness to the sound of several loud whines. She onlined her optics and unplugged herself from the simulator before she even looked around the room. She wasn't surprised to see many of the other competitors whining about their losses, as if the game had personally set out to insult them. She sighed as she stood up and stretched her body out, getting the kinks that had developed over the time she had been playing the simulator out. She felt Galvatron's arms wrap around her waist and hug her tightly to his front.

"Sparklings," he teased good-naturedly before yawning widely. "Well, that was exhausting. If anyone needs us, we'll be in our room."

"We?" Oriona demanded before yelping as he hoisted her into the air. "Gah! Galvatron!"

He laughed as he turned and walked out of the room, swinging her over his shoulder as he went. She struggled for a moment before sighing and slumping against him, grumbling that he was an aft for doing this to her. He kissed her hip gently before continuing down the hallway. She barely had time to get comfortable before they were in their room and he had her cradled against his chest.

She smiled up at him and rested her cheek on his chest, listening to the soft hum of his spark beneath. He sat down on the berth and hugged her to him, kissing her neck lightly as she purred softly. She paused for a moment as she heard his spark give an unnatural pulse that made her feel incredibly horrible. She wanted to mention it, but something whispered in the farthest reaches of her mind that it was best to leave it unsaid.

She snuggled against him more and settled down for a nap, ignoring the obvious whine from her mate. He could wait until she was energized again before they started anything else.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Snowcat looked around nervously before he swallowed. He didn't know where he was going, exactly, but he knew the general location. While everyone else was busy playing that simulator, he had snuck off. Now here he was, miles under Cybertron's surface looking for a chamber he wasn't sure actually existed. Was he really as stupid as Demolisher thought he was?

He shook his head angrily and trudged on. He needed to find this chamber if it was the last thing he did. It did not matter if he didn't have a clue where he was going or even if he was heading in the right direction. Primus knew he was heading for him and knew of his intentions; if the Creator decided to let him enter his domain, he would. If he didn't, he'd probably wind up back on the surface and left to explain to his mother where he was the entire time. If Quickstart found out he had ditched to go explore below the surface, she'd have his tube on a platter in less than a second; not a good outcome for him.

He shuffled a few more steps before he saw a bright light at the end of the passageway. He felt his hopes soar and shuffled forward as fast as his skis would let him. He wanted so badly to yodel his delight, but he forced himself to remain silent. As he neared the light, it seemed to reach out to embrace him, and he could feel a sudden warmth spread over his armor. He burst into the center of the room and stared in awe at the glowing, pulsating orb suspended in the center of the room.

"You have worried your mother greatly, young Snowcat," Primus' gentle voice chuckled. "She has never been one to get mad or worried. They evict the same reaction in the end."

"I know, sir," he murmured before shuffling forward, feeling like a sparkling that was talking to their father after a long day of work and wanting to crawl up on his lap to feel safe. "It's just that...I needed to speak with you."

"I am aware of that, my youngling," Primus replied before thin tendrils spread around him and caressed him adoringly. "You are ill-content with your upgrade."

"I know Oriona did it to save me and I am very grateful," Snowcat stated calmly for the first time in a long while. "But...the consequences...well, you did create me so you know what I mean."

"Yes, I am well aware of the problem," Primus replied as gently as ever. "You wish for me to reverse the upgrade."

"Is that possible?" Snowcat whispered.

"Anything is possible if you wish it hard enough," Primus purred with an air of good humour. "You want your old body back and you are willing to sacrifice your memories to do it. Rest assured that such an act is not needed for a downgrade."

Snowcat nodded in understanding before the tendrils gently wrapped around him and lifted him into the air. He felt a little weird being lifted into the air, but he ignored it as Primus' friendly warmth encircle him. He let out a soft sigh of relief before he heard someone shouting his name and in a very frantic voice. He looked over his shoulder curiously and was surprised to see Demolisher charging across the room towards him. He tilted his head curiously before he felt the changes begin.

He had been expecting pain as his body was stretched in every direction and then compressed back to normal. He felt a dull numbness seep into his limbs, but aside from that there was no pain. He was a little surprised by that fact, but he was quickly sidetracked by the fact that Demolisher was trying to shoot the tendrils off of him. He yelped a few times and shouted at him to stop shooting because he was doing a very bad job of aiming.

Demolisher growled before Primus' presence suddenly vanished. Snowcat blinked once before flapping his arms wildly in an attempt to remain airborne. He hit the ground less than a second later, coughing and shivering as he realized that his energon levels had dropped drastically. His head was spinning slightly and the lights in the room were starting to make his processor ache. He could see Demolisher hovering over him and could faintly make out him snarling about him being an idiot.

"Jeez, Demolisher," he laughed weakly, "you sure are a sight for sore optics."

"Are you insane?" Demolisher growled before he grabbed him by the chest plate and hauled him up to stare into his different sized optics. "You could have gotten yourself killed! You can't take back an upgrade!"

He stared up lazily at the green mech before commenting that the downgrade obviously worked. He could finally feel his mouth in the open air without that stupid respirator on his face. He could also feel the helicopter blades sitting perfectly on his back, as well as the various other components of his body that let him know that the downgrade had worked. He smiled before shivering again and trying to curl into Demolisher's warm chest.

"Snowcat," Demolisher growled before said mech reached up and placed a finger against his lips.

"Cyclonus," he stated softly with a smile. "You don't have to call me that anymore; I remember who I am. Dem...can you forgive me?"

Demolisher stared down at him before pulling him close and hiding his face in Cyclonus' neck. Cyclonus snuggled closer to the other mech and let out a content murmur as he heard his lover's spark close once more. Remembering everything from before his "upgrade" was a blessing, but he understood the block on his mind. A Seeker or Flyer stripped of their ability to fly would eventually go insane and commit suicide.

Cyclonus felt his optics flicker out as he drifted into recharge. Demolisher placed a gentle kiss to his temple before hoisting him into his arms to start the journey back above ground. He didn't have to see the other mech's face to know that he was smiling and blessing his good fortune. He had felt it deep down that Demolisher had not meant anything that he had said over a month ago, but there was no way to retract such an accusation. Now at least they could be together like old times; who knows, maybe he could convince the old tin can to actually become his bondmate.

**Author's note:** Long break is long. Sorry, looks like I'm not finishing this thing before June. Dang it! Oh well, enjoy this chapter for the time being. And Cyclonus is back! Muhahaha! I liked the helicopter crazy-man better than old yodeler anyways.


	23. A New Problem

Chapter 23 A New Problem

Oriona stared at Galvatron as he paced around the foot of their berth with little regard to the fact that she was there. His wings were twitching with every step and he was grumbling to himself as he kicked at the ground. He had been unnaturally edgy since he had roused from recharge after their victory interface and nothing seemed capable of calming him down. Oriona had even gone so far as to stretch herself out without her armor on and actually strike a very, very suggestive pose to catch his attention. All he had done was stare at her in surprise before shaking his head and pacing faster to avoid looking at her.

If anything, her attempt to distract him had scared him farther into his pacing. She wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but it must have been bad if he had given up a very obvious invitation to interface. He always wanted to interface, even if the time where he dropped the question was at an inappropriate time; like in the middle of a meeting. She rolled over again so that he had a good view of her curves when he turned towards her and sighed softly.

"Galvatron?" she called gently. When he looked at her she arched herself a little off the berth and gave him her best pleading look. "I want you."

He shook his head quickly. "N-n-no," he mumbled. "H-have to get underground... Have to find..."

"Can't it wait?" she whined before wiggling her lower half seductively. "I need you, Galvatron."

He stood trembling before he took a shaky step towards her. His red optics were wide in fear and she felt worry bubble up in her spark. He looked so terrified of her tempting position that she just wanted to drop her position and tell him to never mind. However, she didn't have the chance to before he pounced on her and smothered her bare chest with kisses.

She let out a long sigh of relief at the familiar sensation of her wires being caressed by his lips and relaxed into his ministrations. She carefully removed his armor as he busied himself with her chest wires, sucking and plucking at them with his glossa with a hunger that only he was capable of. She purred and moaned softly with each tweak of her wires as she slid her fingers purposely into his various seams and tugged gently at different sensitive wires to make him growl and moan in pleasure in return. It wasn't fair that she was getting all the attention when he obviously needed a very good distraction.

She easily slipped his pelvic plating off and the wires on his tube shot up to wrap around her wrist to plug into the sensory array just under her wiring the instant they were freed. She chuckled softly before gently easing them out of the arrays before Galvatron could send a burst of electricity through them. He was notorious for jumping the gun and shocking her into overload before they even connected to one another. He always said it was an accident, but she was sure that the sight of her overloading just made him that much more aroused. It was usually after she regained consciousness that he would actually connect properly and send more electricity into her than either of them could handle and send them into a mind-blowing overload. It was fun, but really annoying considering she took forever to online again afterwards.

He let out a soft moan as the wires pulled away from her wrist and flailed around in the air pathetically. She straightened up slightly with a soft purr as he tried to shift above her, but he just ended up face first in her chest wires. She laughed at him before he looked up at her with an unimpressed expression and mumbled something unintelligent about female human body parts. She chuckled before running her fingers along his horns and making him arch his back with a loud purr of delight.

She smirked as he started rubbing his horns in her hand, whimpering softly for her to keep going. He was so easy to entertain and arouse that it took almost no talent at all. She almost felt sorry for him, almost. She stroked up and down his horns teasingly, watching as he arched and withered in delight while collapsing against her chest with every movement. He whined for her to keep going, his wings twitching and shuddering with rising desire as her hands glided over the sensors on his horns. She slowed her pace down to just pass as moving and he whined louder for her to go faster. There was a perfect opportunity to tease him about having the tube in the relationship, but she ignored it in favour of twisting her fingers around the very tip of his horns.

He let out a long moan of pleasure before he pulled himself away from her chest and hovered over her. His optics were hazy with lust and she could see the sparks flying from the wires around his tube as they flailed helplessly in the air. He let out a low moan of want before he lowered his pelvis to hers and easily connected the two of them. She let out a loud gasp of delight as the first wave of electricity pulsed through her, scoring across every sensory array in her body. She lifted herself off of the berth, moaning his name loudly as he gripped the berth beside her head and panted her name into her collar. She had to focus for a moment when she realized that the return loop of electricity wasn't formed properly and had to shift herself around to accompany more of her mate's length into her port.

Once she was sure he had more of his wires connected and she was actually able to send pulses back to him, she settled back against the berth for a wonderful interface session. They growled and hissed at each other as the electricity started flowing faster and building within their bodies. Oriona moaned his name louder and louder as she arched up into him, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist as she felt overload approaching swiftly. His head was hiding in the soft curve of her neck, his fangs sunk deep into a minor fuel line to keep his loud bellows of pleasure muffled; he seemed to think anyone hearing him shouting and swearing during their interfacing was a bad thing but she could scream all she wanted because it was expected of her. His hands slid down her sides before they sank into the collection of wires around her hips and gently started stroking the more sensitive arrays located there.

Overload hit fast and hard and they both emitted the same hoarse cry of delight at the same time. Galvatron collapsed on her with a long groan of satisfaction, sparks still jumping between them as they shifted around to get comfy. Oriona smiled into her mate's chest before she wrapped her arms around his wide expansion of chest and purred softly in contentment. She hugged him tightly to her and pressed her audio receptor against his spark compartment out of habit. She felt a shiver race up her spinal unit as she heard his spark pulsate irregularly beneath the protective casing. It was like he was in the process of a spark-attack and was struggling to stay online.

"Galvatron?" she whispered in fear before she reached up to stroke his face. "Honey? Are you alright?"

"Fine," he whispered before his whole body shuddered. "I...I have to get underground."

"What?" she asked in surprise. "No, you need to see a medic; you sound like you're having a spark-attack!"

"It's nothing," he growled before he struggled to pull away from her. "Have...have to get underground... Super energon...need it."

"Super...?" she murmured before grabbing his collar and yanking his face down to hers. "You got yourself addicted to a drug? ARE YOU STUPID?" she shrieked.

He shook his head before trying to pull away, repeating the same thing over and over again. She felt her fear spike when she saw the distant look in his optics and even more alarmingly was the greenish tint to them that was slowly creeping in. She grabbed his face and pulled him down into her chest, asking him what was wrong with him as she cradled it to her. She kissed his neck with a soft sob of fear, begging silently that everything was just a bad dream and when she woke up he'd laugh gently and hold her close to show that there was nothing wrong with his spark. She knew it was too much to ask for the reality to be a dream.

Galvatron grabbed her arms and pulled them off of him with a bitter hiss. He growled that he needed to go underground and there was nothing she could do to stop him. She stared at him as he stood up and shoved her into the berth in the process before he started gathering his armor without throwing her as much as a glance. Her fear intensified and she stood up in an attempt to stop him, only to find a shoulder cannon pointing at her. She stumbled backwards onto the berth and stared at him in disbelief as she instinctively covered her spark.

"Stay out of this," he snarled, his voice far too dark to be his anymore. "Do not try to stop me or you will suffer greatly, Oriona Pax."

She knew in that instant that something was very, very wrong. Not only was Galvatron threatening her life, but he had just used her whole name to address her. She stared after him as he turned and left the room, his com link activated to contact Starscream to meet him. Her spark was hammering in her chest as she gathered her armor quickly and struggled to get it all clipped on. She had to stay on his trail and figure out what was wrong with her mate. She prayed to Primus that he was just having a processor melt-down from one too many blows to the head during the simulator earlier.

She raced out of her room, checking her armor to make sure it was still in place while comming Wingsabre and telling her to meet her out front. She raced down the hallway, dodging around various mechs and femmes and apologized if she ran into anyone in her haste. She even knocked a large helicopter-mech off his feet and only just managed to stop from falling on top of him.

"Sorry," she apologized as she started to stand up. She looked down into the mech's face and her jaw fell open in disbelief. "CYCLONUS?"

"Hiya, Pax!" he groaned painfully. "Miss me that much that you had to tackle me?"

"What happened to...?" she started to ask before he sat up and grinned.

"What happened to who?" he teased before helping her back to his feet. "By Primus, I don't know what you are talking about. Ta ta now; I have to go find Demolisher."

She watched him go, blinking as she had numerous questions fly through her head, before she realized that Galvatron's trail could have gone cold. She hurried down the hall, cursing herself for getting side-tracked and almost ploughed Wingsabre into the ground. The femme-Seeker blinked at her curiously as she stumbled backwards into the wall and rubbed her nose angrily to get rid of the pain. Wingsabre asked what the urgency was and she replied that something was seriously wrong with Galvatron.

"You noticed that too?" Wingsabre asked before frowning. "He sounded really weird when he commed Starscream. It was like he had to get back underground at all costs."

Oriona nodded before whispering that there was something about him that made her spark freeze in fear. She had not felt that way for ten years since the War for the Minicons and now she feared that something was possessing him. Wingsabre's optics grew wide as she understood where Oriona was heading and shakily asked if she should warn Starscream of the danger.

"No," Oriona stated. "As long as he remains calm and collected around him, he should not be in any danger of attack. If we warn him and he becomes edgy, Galvatron may attack him to keep his cover safe. We have to find them and fast. Can you home in on Starscream's location? I don't want Galvatron to realize I'm following him."

Wingsabre nodded before they both walked outside. Oriona commed her brother and told him to be on standby in case they needed troops moving in a moment's notice. When he demanded to know why, she replied that she'd tell him more when she was sure something was wrong; for now she was just being cautious. He grumbled for her to be safe before he cut the link and left her alone with Wingsabre as the red femme lifted off the ground.

They looked at each other before linking up, knowing that together they might have been able to hold Galvatron off longer than on their own. It would also allow her to home in on Starscream's location without having to follow Wingsabre on the ground and be a burden. They flew out of Iacon and circled wide around the outskirts of the capital city. Starscream's signal was almost directly below them, but there was no way to get to him without blasting through the ground at high speeds and possibly killing themselves.

Oriona almost tumbled out of the air in shock as Starscream sent an image of a large hole in the side of an energon tower. She had not expected him to know that they were right above him, but she should not have been surprised considering Wingsabre and Starscream were sending spark-pulses to one another the whole time. They set off in search of the energon tower, only to have to dodge around Superion Maximus as he flew at them. He chased them to the ground where they were surrounded by Bruticus and Constructicon as Superion landed beside them.

"What is the meaning of this?" Oriona demanded.

"We have orders from Lord Galvatron not to let anyone pass," Bruticus Maximus stated simply.

"I have permission to head below the surface," Oriona replied.

"Lord Galvatron would have informed us if anyone was to go to him," Constructicon Maximus snorted.

"Even if you are his mate, Lady Oriona Pax," Superion added gently. "We have our orders from our lord and we must follow them."

Oriona looked at them before sighing and widening her stance. She asked them calmly if she was going to have to fight them when their com links went off. They all answered at the same time and Galvatron's voice rolled out smoothly. He informed them that she and Wingsabre may pass and that he would be waiting for them below. Any hold ups would be against their better health.

They all stepped back to let her pass, apologizing for holding her up. She nodded and walked over to the energon tower, laughing internally as Starscream asked if his impression was any good. They both replied that he had been very convincing before they looked down into the hole. It was dark and she instinctively knew that it was a long way down to the bottom. She inhaled deeply, ignoring Wingsabre's gentle tease about being scared of heights, before she hopped into the hole.

She descended quickly through the darkness, feeling the edges of the energon tower scrap gently along her shoulders. Wingsabre's inherited claustrophobia kicked up and she squirmed as they continued to fall. Oriona felt bad for making her friend join her, but there was no other way underground to where Starscream and Galvatron were. She apologized to her profusely before they landed with a hard thump on the ground. Wingsabre powered them out of the narrow exit quickly, her fear making both of them pant as they stumbled along.

They stared out at the surrounding world, stunned by the sheer size. Oriona had been expecting it to be closed in and tight fitting like the hallways leading into Primus' chamber. Instead, the ceiling stretched so far over their heads that it was only an inky blackness rose above them. Wingsabre's claustrophobia died down a little, but the calling for the sky still took a huge grip of her spark, almost blotting out Oriona's ability to think. They separated in order to cope better, apologizing for annoying the other with their thoughts.

They set off towards Starscream's signal, moving quickly to make up for the distance they lost earlier in the tower. Wingsabre sped up and took flight, weaving around crumbling columns as she searched for her mate. Oriona followed her lead, knowing that she would not be able to track Galvatron without alerting him to her close proximity. He probably already knew that she was heading for him and he was going to go ballistic upon seeing her. She hoped that the surrounding rubble was better cover than it looked.

She looked up as she heard Wingsabre cry out in joy and smiled as she scooped Starscream up and hugged him tightly. Starscream returned the hug with a soft smile while telling his mate that he was fine. Oriona knew that saying some things out loud always made them sound better between mates even though they could speak silently to each other over their bond. She waited until the pair had calmed down a bit before she moved forward. Starscream nodded to her as Wingsabre set him down and he asked if she was alright.

"I'm more worried about Galvatron," she replied. "Where is he?"

"In the super energon pool," Starscream stated, pointing with his arm-sword towards a small structure behind them. "He told me to wait out here and to be honest I want nothing to do with him at the moment. Something is terribly wrong with him."

Oriona nodded slowly before looking at the monument. She started walking towards it, planning on taking Galvatron by surprise and dragging him to Primus bound and gagged to be exercised of the spark possessing him. She had barely taken five strides before the ground beneath her feet shuddered violently. She yelped in surprise before she stumbled backwards and fell against a still standing column, her back letting out a violent scream of pain that only she felt or heard. She leant forward a little to alleviate the pain before she watched the ground beneath her feet start to crumble.

She gasped and grabbed the pillar behind her as she glimpse dark purple metal below the crumbling ground. Her spark was in her mouth as a humongous arm burst out of the ground in front of her and reached towards the far away ceiling. She screamed in terror as another arm broke through the ground farther away but shook the ground so violently that she was catapulted towards the arm in front of her. She hit it hard enough to knock the air out of her intakes and stared down in dazed apprehension as the arm started to lift up higher, revealing wide shoulders and a huge chest.

She shrieked as she launched herself away from the arm, grabbing at the pillar as the ground was torn apart by a huge set of horns. She stared at the red optics that glared at her as the huge mech erupted out of the ground at last. She threw her arms over her head in a desperate attempt to protect herself, screaming in terror as boulders bigger than her rained down around her. She heard a femme's voice scream her name before a set of arms wrapped around her and pulled her out of harm's way. She looked up into Scorponok's optics and nodded her thanks as the green femme flew both of them to a safe distance. She landed beside Starscream and looked sadly back at the massive mech that was now hovering in the air with his legs still submerged underground.

"Lord Galvatron has gone mad," she murmured sadly. "Why has he done this to himself?"

"Because it isn't Galvatron in control," Oriona replied with a shaky voice before she pulled her knees up to her chest and stared at Galvatron with tearing optics. "Unicron has possessed him. Galvatron, if he still has any control of himself, is pushed to the farthest corners of his own mind. He's trapped."

Starscream and Wingsabre stared out at Galvatron as he let out a bellow of rage and continued to rise through Cybertron's layers. Oriona's com link went off as Rodimus demanded to know what the slag was going on and why they were reading seismic activities strong enough to put a supernova to shame. She touched her audio sadly before informing him that Galvatron was behind it all and that they had possibly lost him to forces even Primus could not stop. His silence was all it took for her to finally break down and sob at the hopelessness of it all; Rodimus always had an opinion and for him to remain silent meant that all hope was lost.

She snapped her head up as she heard a horrible crash far over their heads and saw more rubble tumble towards them. She darted instantly to Wingsabre's side and the two of them took off towards the surface of Cybertron with Scorponok and Starscream hot on their trail. They zoomed out to the surface and turned to watch Galvatron's hulking body take off towards space. They all saw the huge umbilical cord that attached him to the super energon pool below, fuelling him onwards to wherever his destination was.

Oriona wiped her optics clean of any optical fluid and got back on the line with Rodimus. "Rodimus, I want you to send a group of soldiers to my position," she ordered. "Galvatron is hooked into a powerful fuel source with an umbilical cord. If we can sever it, we can hopefully cut off a good chunk of his power supply."

"What's the plan after that?" Rodimus demanded.

"I'm going after Galvatron," she replied. "Unicron's behind all of this and I am going to make him pay for stealing Galvatron from me a second time. This time...I'll make sure he's offline before I leave."

"Understood," Rodimus snorted before he let a lengthy pause run between them. "Good luck, little sister."

"Thank you...big brother," she whispered in reply, closing her optics as a tear ran down her face.

Even in the most desperate of situations, a true piece of Rodimus' spark could show through. Not for the first time, she wished that there was not the huge rift between them and that she could lean on her older brother for once. Now, however, she had to follow Galvatron before anything bad happened. She had to figure out what was going on and maybe, just maybe, a miracle would bring her mate safely back into her arms.

**Author's note:** Le gasp! Is this story almost finished? It only took me half a year to write it XD Oh well, it just goes to show that my ability to multitask has dropped substantially since I started going on Youtube and DeviantArt. Well, there might be two chapters after this one, one if I can work everything properly. Leave a review before you leave; I want to hear your opinions everyone!


	24. A New Sun

Chapter 24 A New Sun

Oriona held on tightly to Wingsabre's shoulders as they chased after Galvatron's humongous form. The last thing she wanted to do was fall off and be sent spiralling around in a wide expanse of nothing. Starscream was flying slightly behind and to the right of them, his face emotionless as he focused on the colossal form of his best friend and commander. Galvatron was heading towards the space-gate that would take him to Alpha-Q's solar system and Oriona knew why; Unicron wanted his head back. If he had his head back, he could regenerate the rest of his body and restart his campaign of terror.

Ironhide had radioed in for additional assistance earlier in severing Galvatron's umbilical cord. Scorponok had left to help, calling forth her "pets" to assist in the task. Already, the green cord connecting Galvatron to the pool was thinning, not that he seemed to notice. He was so bent on his task that he didn't even notice the very source of his power was being cut off. It was sad to watch him like this knowing that he had no power over any of it.

Galvatron suddenly stopped and straightened up, making them have to bank hard to avoid slamming into his wings. He looked around as if something had just occurred to him and Oriona felt her spark sink a little as he turned back towards Cybertron. Wingsabre quickly made to get around him and stay out of sight, but the sudden movement drew his attention to them. His red optics brightened slightly before his arm moved at an amazing speed towards them. Wingsabre and Oriona screamed in unison before Galvatron's hand knocked them flying. It was only a glancing blow, but it was still enough to break them apart and send them tumbling in two different directions.

Oriona's head was spinning badly by the time she realized that Galvatron's hand was looming over her. For one horrifying minute, she thought that he was going to crush her in his palm like a common parasite. Instead, his hand moved behind her to stop her from floating back towards Cybertron helplessly. She stared up at him as she bumped against his palm and saw the faintest traces of his confident smirk in place. Around it, however, was the facial expression that Unicron always bore when looking at her; a mixture of fury and desire. She really wasn't sure which part of the expression she feared more, the fury or the desire.

'Oriona?' Galvatron's voice echoed weakly down their bond.

'Galvatron!' she shouted in joy before reaching out to embrace him. 'Thank Primus you're still alive in there!'

'Oriona...you have to stop me,' he whimpered. 'Unicron...I couldn't stop him. He's too powerful. The super energon...'

'We've cut off your supply already,' she comforted as she tried to draw him closer to her spark. 'We'll save you, Galvatron, just wait.'

'There's no time,' he whispered before he howled in pain. 'PRIMUS HELP ME!'

"Release him, Unicron!" she screamed at him as she braced herself on Galvatron's palm. "You have no right to be doing this!"

"Oh, but I have every right in the Universe to embody my servant," Unicron's voice boomed out of Galvatron's mouth. "And his power is what I need to fuel my return. Do not think that just because you severed my connection to the super energon that you have won, dearest Oriona Pax."

Oriona snarled at him before she kicked off of Galvatron's palm. She had felt the connection cables beneath his armor bunch in preparation to grab her and would have none of it. His hand closed around nothing as she floated away from him, her optics glaring into her mate's as he turned to look at her. A cruel smirk took over his mouth before his arm swung out to slam into her. She screamed in pain as she was sent flying backwards through space, her body denting from the sheer force behind the attack. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and stopped her from floating off into space as several jet engines roared around her.

She looked around at the Seekers that had showed up, smiling weakly at the sight of them. Flamewar had her sword out and the flames ablaze along the blade as she growled territorially at Galvatron's body. Thundercracker was hovering beside her, his gun pointed at Galvatron's face as he too growled territorially. Skywarp was darting back and forth in front of Galvatron's hand, taunting him with insulting jibes before falling back to avoid getting smacked. Cyclonus was laughing hysterically while taking pot-shots at Galvatron's optics, darting back to them in time to avoid getting headbutted away. Wingsabre was zooming around Galvatron's legs, shooting at certain spots on his armor in hopes of damaging the circuits underneath. Starscream was discussing something with Scorponok, both of them throwing glares at the giant mech. She looked up and smiled at Springer as he held her securely to his chest; leave it to the gentle-mech to catch the spiralling, out-of-control femme.

"How are you going to take him down?" Springer demanded. "He's almost as big as Unicron!"

Oriona sighed before murmuring that she didn't know. There was a long pause before a bright light washed over their group and made Galvatron hiss in fury. Springer's grip on her slacked and she felt herself drifting away from him. The light seemed to seep between the chinks in her armor and she felt herself expanding to accommodate it. The Seekers all let out shouts of shock before Galvatron let out a roar of fury.

"Primus, you interfering swine! SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD!"

"You are one to be talking, dear brother," Primus' voice replied gently as his being surged through Oriona's limbs. "You are the one that took over Galvatron's body. Is it so wrong to even the fight for my creation?"

Oriona wondered what their Creator was doing to her before she felt his gentle touch on her back. He whispered to her that everything was going to be okay and that all she needed to do was focus. The light faded away soon after that and she was a little surprised to see Galvatron staring directly into her optics at the same height he had been before the super energon.

"Whoa," she heard someone comment.

"Oh come on! That is so _not_ fair!" Flamewar whined. "Now Oriona really has a bigger chassis and aft than me!"

Oriona glanced around to see where Flamewar was, wondering why she sounded a little different and gawked at everyone. "Did you guys shrink?" she demanded.

"No," Springer replied before smirking. "You grew! Guess there were some really good steroids in that light."

Oriona blinked before looking up in time to avoid getting punched by Galvatron. The Seekers scattered with shouts of shock, flying to a safe distance to avoid getting ran over and squashed. She managed to turn herself enough to face the slightly unbalanced mech as he turned back towards him, growling viciously as he moved his shoulder cannons. Oriona knew that he had the advantage because he could fly, but if she could somehow get Unicron's spark out of Galvatron's chassis she could stand a better chance.

He rushed her and she only just managed to avoid getting rammed. She did, however, manage to cling to his front and flip them over and over as his momentum carried them on. She hooked her legs tightly around him while gripping his shoulders to make sure she was not so easily shaken off. Galvatron let out a bellow of rage before his hands dug at her back and started pulling at her. She clung on tightly, growling back at him as she tried to think of some way to get at Unicron's spark without harming Galvatron in the process. She knew of one way she could perhaps lure Unicron away from control of Galvatron's body, but there was no way she was doing it in front of the Seekers.

"Turn around," she ordered down the com link. "If I catch one of you peeking, so help me Primus, I'll swat you across the galaxy."

"Ooh!" Flamewar teased as she turned around. "Paxy's getting her sexy on!"

"I hate you," she grumbled as she felt her face heat up.

"But I wanna watch!" Cyclonus whined before getting smacked by Starscream and told to listen to orders.

She inhaled slightly and tried to ignore the fact that the Seekers were all snickering amongst themselves. The last thing she needed was to lose her nerve while Galvatron was clawing at her so furiously. She had to stay focused to save not only Galvatron but the entire Universe from the evil that was Unicrons.

She pushed herself up her mate's body using his shoulders as leverage and kissed him as seductively as she could manage. She felt his solid frame freeze in disbelief, as well as the faint wail of denial from Galvatron as Unicron received the full force of the kiss. She wanted to comfort him, but she knew that Unicron would hear anything she tried to tell her mate and if he found out her plan, she was in big trouble. One hand slid down his chest, teasing the armor on his abdominals with knowing fingers before Galvatron's arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Now, what brought this on?" Galvatron purred, his red optics darkening with lust.

"I...I can't fight Galvatron," she whispered. "Not anymore. I...I need him... And if you are in his body...that means I can't kill you."

Galvatron's hands tightened on her hips, his mouth twisting into a sickeningly lecherous grin. He growled hungrily before his mouth dipped into the curve of her neck and he nibbled on the wires hidden there delicately. She felt a wave of repulsion tug at her, but she forced herself to stretch her neck out and moan as if she were enjoying his touch. She felt one hand begin to slide towards her pelvis and she silently wished that her mate would take control of his body already. Just as his hand settled on the armor the other hand reached up to choke his throat.

He gagged in surprise before reeling backwards. His optics were wide before they narrowed in fury as the fingers tightened mercilessly around his throat. He gagged out that he was a fool for trying to kill both of them, even if he did consider touching his mate an offense. Oriona leapt on the distraction and placed a bruising and lusty kiss to Galvatron's lips. There was a long pause where she was kissing unresponsive lips as the fingers continued to close around his throat. Then, as if a switch had been flicked, both hands wrapped tightly around her body and Galvatron returned the kiss with feverish passion.

"Galvatron?" she whispered in between the kisses.

"You are a devilish fiend," he growled in response, making her spark soar in relief. "Do you have any idea how hard it is even now not to just rip your plating off and frag you senseless?"

There was a very loud shout of "do it" from one of the male Seekers and she promptly flipped them off. The others let out chorus of laughter as they cheered for Galvatron's return and for Oriona flipping someone off. Galvatron pulled her closer, his glossa pressing against her lip in a gentle inquiry of acceptance and she allowed him entrance. Their glossas danced over and around each other as Oriona and Galvatron made whatever space between them disappear. Her hand reached up to wrap around his head and pulled him a little closer while his hands pushed up on the small of her back so that she was bending backwards slightly.

She could hear Wingsabre and Flamewar laughing and cat-calling them as they kissed. She felt a heated blush bloom across her face and she had the urge to pull away and hide her face in her mate's chest. His arms wrapped comfortingly around her before he pulled back a few centimetres to bare his fangs at the two Seeker femmes. They giggled uncontrollably at the display before turning towards their mates and purring quite loudly. Oriona murmured softly that they had created monsters before Galvatron chuckled into her mouth and gently held her face in his right hand.

She felt a strange tingle in her arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck and started kissing him again, almost like they had fallen asleep on her. Galvatron's hands started to feel warmer too, almost unbearably warm as time slowly trickled by. Even his glossa was starting to get a little too hot to bear. She let out a faint gasp as she felt a small ember touch the tips of her finger and let out a faint hiss as one died in her mouth. She wanted to comment to Galvatron that things were getting a little too hot when his wings suddenly caught fire.

She let out a gasp of shock and ended up choking a little on his glossa as he pitched forward in surprise. The fire, a dark red with a blue tip, spread outwards towards his body and one of his hands snapped up to beat the fire out before it touched her. However, instead of going out, the flames jumped to his hand and spread up his arm to engulf his shoulder. He cursed loudly in fear and surprise before the flames touched her hands; she had been unable to move out of momentary paralysis caused by panic.

The moment the flames touched her, they turned a brilliant shade of white. As if caught in a trail of oil, the flames ignited both of them in less time than it took to cycle air. Oriona let out a gasp of terror and clung to Galvatron's chest as the flames continued to lick over her armor. Galvatron's arms were wrapped around her protectively even though there was nothing he could do to stop the flames from growing. She felt the tingling sensation all through her body now and the flames began to grow unbearably bright.

She turned her head and pushed it into her mate's chest to shield her optics from the glare. Galvatron's face was pressed into her neck a second later as his arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders. She could hear the others yelling in hysteria as the fire continued to flare around them and suddenly wished there was some way to get rid of it. Almost on cue, the flames started to die down and the sheen dimmed substantially.

"Hey," Skywarp chirped as the flames vanished altogether, "you're alright!"

Oriona looked over at him and let out a small sigh of relief. "And back to normal size by the looks of it," she added.

She grunted as Wingsabre leapt at her and hugged her tightly to her chest. She chastised her for acting like a little tramp to get Unicron distracted and had to make it up to Galvatron as soon as she could. Galvatron commented that he expected her in their berth that night ready for a night of fun. Oriona pretended to be depressed over the very notion of interfacing all night before she noticed a very large ball of liquid heading for them.

She pointed out the approaching sphere and everyone turned to watch it. It looked like a floating ball of energon that had been melted in an extremely hot furnace. Galvatron's wings hitched up before he murmured that it was super energon. Immediately, everyone grabbed him and held him in place, earning a very angry snarl that he was not addicted to the stuff. They all laughed at him before the ball of super energon floated by and stopped to hover a short distance away from them.

"Unicron's spark," Primus' voice surrounded them. "It is needed."

"Great," Cyclonus commented. "Where do we find it?"

Galvatron shifted before his hand closed over Oriona's. "A better question might be what will it be used for," he murmured.

"Unicron's spark will ignite the super energon and turn it into a star," Primus replied. "This solar system has been without a star for a very long time. Even though my brother is bent on destruction, his spark is capable of creating life."

Galvatron's hand tightened on hers before he pulled her close and kissed her temple. "I have to go," he whispered.

"No!" she cried out before hugging him tightly. "Galvatron, we can just..."

"Unicron's spark is merged with mine," he stated softly. "We do not have the resources to separate his essence from mine. I must carry his spark in, Oriona."

Oriona shook her head and hugged him until she was sure his spinal unit was going to snap. His arms rocked her back and forth gently as the others argued with him. Primus' presence did little to sooth the ache that was overcoming her as Galvatron's resolve hardened under their attempts to convince him not to. She let out a shaky sob as she felt his hands gently pry her off of him and hold her out at arm's length.

"Oriona, look at me," he whispered.

She looked up, not wanting to see the determination in his optics, and met his mouth. His kiss was passionate and fiery, his glossa scorching her mouth as it slipped past her parted lips. She whined softly as she clung to him, trying to drag the moment out as long as she could. She did not want to separate; she did not want to lose him to this fate. She was clinging as tightly as she could, wishing she could somehow keep him from going away.

He pulled back and whispered that he loved her as he rested his head on hers. She murmured for him to be safe as he looked over her shoulder to where the sphere was waiting. She watched him fly towards it and was stunned to see Starscream fly beside him. Wingsabre was on the verge of tears and leaning heavily on Flamewar. He must have decided to accompany his friend and make sure he was safe in spite of the obvious danger for him. Oriona inhaled shakily before whispering for Primus to protect them.

Galvatron and Starscream plunged into the ball of energon and it ignited a second later. Everyone was forced backwards towards Cybertron, their arms up in front of their faces to block out the bright light. When it had subsided a bit, Oriona stared longingly at the huge ball of plasma now shining with a brightness that even fire could not match. Her spark wailed in anguish before she felt a gentle probe and she gasped in surprise; Galvatron was still alive.

She reached out over the bond and was surprised to discover that he was almost in recharge. He purred softly that he loved her and that he and Starscream were both alright. Starscream was leaking coolant like crazy, naturally, but he was fine, aside from being a little tired. He murmured that he'd come find her when he had rested enough and was sure he could make the journey back to Cybertron without crashing and potentially killing himself. She inhaled shakily again before whispering back that she would be waiting for him.

She turned to everyone and ordered them back to Cybertron; they're work here was done.

ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'ASDFGHJKL;'

Oriona walked into the command center and tried her best not to break down as everyone turned to look at them. Thundercracker had radioed ahead to inform the base as to what happened to Galvatron. She could see the pity in their optics and they would probably tell her that they were extremely sorry for her lose. She did not want to hear those words because she knew she would just break down and sob.

Ironhide, Hot Shot, and Side Swipe walked towards her and hugged her tightly. She returned the embrace and hid her face in Hot Shot's shoulder, whispering softly that she loved them. Hot Shot whispered that everything was going to be alright and that Galvatron would return before she knew it. Side Swipe murmured that he had left to give them all something they had been lacking; Cybertron had not had a sun in generations. Ironhide added that he wasn't dead and he would come back; it would just take some time for him to get his strength back. She smiled around a new wave of tears before gently kissing each one of her sons and thanking them.

"Oriona?" Jetfire's voice intruded upon their moment and she lifted her head up to look at him. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," she sighed softly. "Galvatron is resting and so should I."

"You don't have to hold onto him anymore," Jetfire stated softly. "He's gone; you can drop the act."

"I was never acting, Jetfire," she replied bluntly before nuzzling Ironhide as he whispered that he had to leave. "My feelings for Galvatron have always been sincere."

"But, Oriona," Jetfire started to argue before Hot Shot cut him off.

"Jetfire, drop it," he snapped. "Even if she was faking, show a little sensitivity. Either way, she's missing her mate so just shut up and leave her alone."

Jetfire stared at him in shock before he grumbled and stormed out of the command center. Everyone looked at each other nervously before returning to their work. Oriona looked around once to make sure she was not needed before she turned and left the room, planning on heading out to the crystal garden. Side Swipe stayed beside her as Hot Shot returned to the task Rodimus had assigned him, the younger brother's optics a little unfocused as they went along.

She entered the gardens and made her way over to the benches, planning on resting there until she had the strength to return to the others. Side Swipe sat beside her and rested his head on her shoulder, murmuring that he missed his father already. She stroked his cheek before she felt something very warm slide over her armor and a small trace of light caught her attention. She lifted her head up, antennas perked, before her optics widened and she patted Side Swipe's face before hissing at him to look.

They both watched as golden rays shot across the sky, bouncing off the various crystal arrangements as they went. The normally dark and black expansion of sky was slowly blotted out by brilliant yellows, orange, and reds. They stared as a huge disk slid over the rim of Cybertron's horizon , the light shooting directly through the crystal trees and sending out a huge rainbow of colours over Oriona and Side Swipe's armor. For the first time in eons, the two of them were witnessing a Cybertronian sunrise.

Oriona stare at the rising sun and felt a tear slide down her face. Galvatron was never gone, not so long as that sun continued to rise over Cybertron's surface. She wiped her optics and whispered softly to Side Swipe that everything was going to be okay. He looked at her and smiled widely as tears tumbled down his face.

"I know," he murmured. "I know."

They hugged each other tightly, both prepared to wait for Galvatron's return no matter how long he took. They failed to notice the dark shuttle glaring at them with clenched fists. Oriona, somehow, was still under Galvatron's influences. She needed freedom from his tyranny and he seemed like the only one willing to take the steps to free her. He snorted to himself before he turned and stormed back into the Prime's Mansion; curse the sun to the Pit and back!

Meanwhile, on Earth, a pair of pink optics peered out of a very dark cave. The Seeker's wings twitched curiously before he looked at the recharging form beside him. Something big had just happened back home and he was sure his mate would know the answer to his curiosity. While he was tempted to wake him up, he knew that his mate needed to rest after the long journey to Earth. He smiled behind his face mask before petting the now orange and black mech's helm lovingly. He could wait for his mate to awaken before asking him what was going on. He was patient enough.

**Author's note:** END OF STORY, HOLY COW! Longer than I had hoped but at least I got it done ^w^ Also, the "D" button on my keyboard hates me right now; stupid sticky thing! Next up, the thrilling conclusion arc to the series! Will Galvatron return and be called Megatron again? Will Side Swipe ever get a girlfriend? Is there romance in Demolisher and Cyclonus' future? More sparklings? Whatever happened to Thrust and Sideways? And, most importantly, who's going to get gender-bent next? Stay tuned for the next story! Give me about a week ;p


End file.
